


Omoni's Friskriel 100

by Omoni



Series: Abovetale [31]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: ALL THE SPOILERS, F/M, Fluff, Lewff, OC FishlizardCHILDREN, OC FishlizardChild, OC Goatchild, Part of Abovetale, Romance, Smut, Some fluffy smut, more smut, shameless romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2018-07-19 17:46:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 70
Words: 63,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7371550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omoni/pseuds/Omoni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A BIG collection of ficlets, drabbles, and regular fics about Frisk and Asriel, taking place in my AU of Abovetale. I plan to tell the small stories I never got to, or only hinted at, so expect spoilers not only for the whole Pacifist run of the game, but also for Abovetale. There will be silliness, sappiness, and all of that, so I hope you enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Defiant

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PhalinRed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhalinRed/gifts).



When the barrier broke, and once that perfect sunset had changed into night, Frisk went back to the Ruins once again, to see if she could catch one last look at Asriel. However, by then, he was already Flowey once more, and he greeted her with a sarcastic grin, obviously noticing the disappointment on her face.

"I did tell you," he said caustically.

"I know," she agreed, sitting down in front of him. "It's okay."

"Oh?" he said, his voice still dripping with sarcasm. He moved closer to her, and when she merely blinked, he stopped, mere centimetres away. "Is it?"

"Yes, because I have a proposition for you."

"Big words for such a small brat."

"You're really not one to talk," she replied, smiling a little, especially when his expression turned sour. 

"So what do you want, Ch-Frisk?" he asked, looking annoyed.

"I want to make a deal with you, and I want you to keep it."

Flowey smirked. "Please. Why would I make any deal with you, let alone keep it?"

"I dunno," Frisk said honestly. "It's a long shot, but I want to try anyway."

Flowey was silent for a moment, obviously curious but not wanting to show or admit it. Then he said, "Well, you can _ask_ , but that doesn't mean I have to agree."

Frisk nodded. "That's fair," she agreed. "My deal is this: if you leave everyone alone and stay in the Ruins without interfering with everyone or anyone, I'll visit you every single Friday and keep you company, tell you stories, and keep you up to date about what's going on."

Flowey stared at her. "Why would I ever agree to that?!" he demanded. "It's boring and stupid!"

Frisk looked down at her hands, trying to think of a way to answer that. It was true, in a way; Flowey got very little in return for giving up very much, but it was the only solution she had to keep everyone safe from his meddling.

"I don't know," she said finally. "Maybe see it as a challenge?"

Flowey blinked, surprised by that. It was a good answer.

"Plus, you won't miss much, because I'll tell you everything, and I'll even tell you stories from the surface."

"Like books?"

Frisk nodded. "I could read you books, yes."

Flowey considered this. "Every Friday? No matter what? Even if you're sick?"

She nodded. "Even when I'm sick."

"But why would you think I care so much about _you_ to uphold a promise that rips my freedom away?" He smirked again. "So many people are on the surface, and they have yet to meet me."

Frisk made a face. "Exactly. Which is what I'd prefer to avoid, if you don't mind."

"I _do_ mind, Frisky," he answered sharply, his smile now grim. "I do mind quite a bit."

"Then say no and do what you want," Frisk snapped, frustrated by the name-calling and his obstreperous attitude. She got to her feet and turned to go.

Flowey's smile faded, and he looked up at her with a curious expression. She waited for his refusal, her stomach clenched and her heart hurting.

But then he surprised her and said, _"Every_ Friday?"

"Yes, Flowey. I promise. So long as you do, too."

Flowey eyed her closely, then said, very slowly, "Alright, then, I accept."

Frisk froze, unsure if she heard him right. "You do?"

"Yes, I do, you idiot. Are you too stupid to understand?" 

"No, I'm not!" she protested. "You're just a liar is all."

"True," he agreed, almost proudly. "But are you? There's only one way to prove it, right? I'll be waiting for Friday. If you don't show up, well..." He grinned, not a pleasant gesture. "The deal is off."

"That's fair," she said again, barely able to believe what she was hearing.

"Now get lost, Frisk," he snapped. "It's not Friday, and I'm sure you have better things to do, don't you?"

Frisk smiled. "See you Friday, then, Flowey."

"We'll see," was his reply.


	2. Powder

Frisk decided to make a cake. She wanted it to be a surprise for Flowey, so that when she visited him that Friday - the first Friday - they could almost celebrate their deal being made. She refused help from Toriel - to Toriel's dismay - and practically destroyed their new kitchen trying to make a simple chocolate cake. It took her three tries, two ruined pans, and three cake kits, but eventually she succeeded in making a lumpy, lopsided cake, messy with haphazard frosting and practically smothered in icing sugar, but to Frisk it was perfect.

"Well," Toriel said slowly, trying to keep her voice calm. "It's... a cake."

Frisk beamed. She was covered in flour and icing sugar but didn't even notice. She carefully placed the cake into a cake dish and said, "I'm going Underground, now."

Toriel blinked. "Why, child?"

Frisk blushed. "To visit the monsters still there. To give them cake. So they won't think they've been forgotten." It was true, after all.

Toriel smiled at her and gave her powdery head a pat. "Alright. Be back before sundown, dear."

Frisk nodded and practically ran out the door.

She ran all the way to the Ruins, excited to see Flowey and show him that she truly meant to keep her promise. The moment her feet landed in the gardens, he popped up and stopped her, startling her into almost dropping the cake.

He stared at her, his eyes huge. She grinned so wide her eyes were happy crescents. "Hi, Flowey!" she said cheerfully. "I told you!"

"I know," he said. "I didn't believe you."

"Who's the idiot, now?" she replied, walking over to a patch of golden flowers and sitting down. She rested the cake dish on her lap and grinned at him, proud.

In response, he leaned back and summoned up a row of his pellets.

She froze, feeling the tug on her soul as he dragged her into a fight. She sat there, staring at him, and he grinned. Then, he attacked. She moved to avoid the pellets, and found it actually rather easy to do. Confused, she spared him, and he pulled back, no longer attacking.

"Wh-What was that for?!" she demanded, clutching the cake dish to her tightly.

"Just checking," he replied, still grinning. He moved closer to her. "What's in the dish, Frisk?"

"Nothing you deserve _now_ ," she answered angrily, getting to her feet. However, before she could leave, he had a vine wrapped around her leg, and she froze.

"We had a deal, Frisk," he said, his voice almost cheerful. "Are you breaking it?"

She turned back to him, then sighed. "No," she answered. She shook her leg, and he withdrew the vine. She carefully sat back down, and he moved right in front of her.

"So," he said, "the dish?"

"Cake," she muttered. "For us. To celebrate our deal."

Something flickered in his face then, too fast for her to follow. Had she been able to, she would have seen a rare expression of gratitude. But it was quickly smothered by a sarcastic grin.

"Can you eat cake?" she wondered.

"We can find out," he replied.

Frisk opened the dish, discovering that her jog had made it even more lumpy, but she decided not to care. She grabbed a chunk and ate it, and found that it wasn't so bad. When Flowey didn't make a move to eat, she held the dish out to him.

Flowey made a face. "You're very stupid, aren't you?" he said. "I don't have hands!"

"Oh." She scooped up a handful and, without warning, shoved it into his mouth. He reeled back, his eyes wide, making choking noises, but Frisk noticed that he wasn't even choking - he was chewing. She grinned. "You _can_ eat cake!"

"You call this cake?" he spluttered out, his face covered in icing sugar and frosting. "It's a sugar coma waiting to happen!" And yet, despite his words, he eyed the cake closely, almost longingly, and Frisk laughed.

By the end, they were both covered in icing and frosting, but neither seemed to care. Frisk was giggling by the time they had cleaned the plate, and Flowey was looking far less sour and more relaxed.

"Did M-- _your_ mom make that?" he asked.

"No, I did!" she replied proudly, wiping her face with one of her sleeves. "By myself!"

"No wonder it looked so bad," he replied with a smirk.

"You know," she said, "I was gonna clean up your face, but I think you deserve to look like a powdered doughnut."

His smile vanished. "Don't be a jerk!" he snapped. He edged closer. "Clean, or you'll be sorry!"

With a laugh, Frisk did, and he complained the whole time, but seemed to appreciate it, still. When done, she patted the top of his head, and he scowled.

"I'm not your pet!" he snarled, jerking away.

"True!" she agreed. "Pets are nice."

He glared at her, and she grinned back, unintimidated. "So, think you could get used to my company every Friday?" she wondered.

Flowey snorted. "Do I have a choice?"

"Nope!" she agreed. "Wanna hear what's been going on?"

He blinked, then nodded. "Sure. Just don't be boring, go it?"

She wasn't, and in that alone, the deal was solidified, one that would last eight years. Frisk never broke her promise, and in return, neither did Flowey - ever.


	3. Grateful (Delilah)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so here is where we start getting into the stories that were part of Abovetale that I hinted at but never told. That means that they're not as generic as the first two, and thus they maaaaay be confusing if you haven't read the stories I specify at the beginning of each one. So, if you haven't read Abovetale, this one especially may go over your head. Sorry about that! I did warn you tho :3

**SPOILERS FOR _DELILAH_**

When Frisk was finally able to come home from the hospital, Asriel elected himself as her primary caregiver. Needless to say, only Frisk was surprised by this, though of course their parents tried to change his mind.

"My dear boy," Toriel said gently, cupping his face in her hands. He had said this as they were just walking into the house, and Asgore was helping Frisk to her bedroom to lie down and rest. Both had paused mid-stride to listen, sharing the same curiosity. "You don't have to do this. You've already been through a great deal. I can take care of Frisk, as can your father."

Asriel went pink. "I... I won't have anything else to do," he said, his voice shy. "And you both have jobs. And I want to help. Please?"

"Mami," Frisk broke in with a smile. "It's fine. I trust Asriel. I'd love to get to know my brother better. I think this is a great way to do that."

Asgore and Toriel exchanged glances. Though Frisk may have been ignorant, they were not, and knew just how deeply Asriel felt for his 'sister'. Asgore, however, nodded slightly, his eyes soft, and she sighed, giving her son a kiss on his forehead before letting him go.

"Alright," said Toriel. "But if it gets too much for you, dear, tell us, and we will help you."

"I promise," he agreed.

Frisk smiled at him, and his blush deepened, his heart racing. Asgore nodded again, then gently led Frisk into her bedroom, where she laid down immediately and curled up, asleep in mere moments. It was, after all, her first day home, and she was thrilled to be able to sleep in her own bed.

Asgore closed the door and lowered his head for a moment, his hand on the door.

"Dad?" Asriel murmured. "Are you okay?"

In response, Asgore walked over and hugged his son tight, giving him a slightly tearful kiss on his forehead.

Asriel felt his own eyes well up, and he hugged back. "Dad," he whispered, and Asgore held him close.

Soon, Toriel's arms went around them, and all three wept, so happy to be a family again, and so happy that they were all safe.

Once Asgore and Toriel - reluctantly - went back to work, Asriel spent his time coming up with a routine for Frisk. At first, much of what she did was sleep, remaining in bed to eat as well, getting up only to use the washroom or have a bath. She was too weak to do much else, so Asriel, when she was awake, spent time at her bedside, keeping her company. They chatted like they did when he was Flowey, only it was so much better, because he could finally be himself.

What he didn't like, however, was how sick she was. She handled it well enough, but when the magical injuries gave her pain, she curled up on her side and didn't move, nor did she try to speak, trying to ride through that pain. No medicine could help her, so when this happened, Asriel kept her company in silence, holding her hand or gently cleaning away the sweat from her face with a cold cloth. When it passed, she usually fell into an exhausted sleep, and Asriel stayed with her, not wanting to leave her alone.

So, he truly did become her primary caregiver. He even slept in the same room as her - his sleep a miracle in itself, as alone he just paced all night - when he could, sleeping on the floor and keeping close to her in case she needed him in the night. Sometimes she did, and he never hesitated to help her, be it a trip to the washroom, a glass of water, or simply to hold her hand through spikes of pain.

Asgore and Toriel gave him breaks when they could - or at least they tried to. But he was so stubborn about leaving her side that even Frisk gave up trying - something he was probably far too happy about, but happy he was.

When she was finally able to get out of bed, Asriel decided to set up a new routine: daily take-out and old, silly movies. Frisk loved it, but at first, ended up falling asleep through most of the movies. Oddly, so did Asriel, though he always managed to wake up first. He'd noticed that he'd been having problems getting to sleep on his own, but with Frisk, it was never an issue. He wouldn't understand why until much, much later.

"Sorry," Frisk would always say, when Asriel gently woke her to eat. "I can't help it."

"Clearly you need it," he'd reply. "So stop worrying, idiot."

And she'd always smile at him, sending his heart racing.

When it finally seemed like Frisk was well enough to go back to work, she came over to him and hugged him tightly. He returned it, burying his face into her shoulder, and she murmured, "Thank you, Asriel."

"Don't worry about it," he said softly, meaning it

"I do," she replied, keeping her hold on him. "You've been so wonderful to me. It means so much. I'm so grateful to you."

His face burned, and he hoped she couldn't feel it. "Forget it," he mumbled.

"Nope," she replied. "Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"No, of course not, idiot," he answered. "I'm not keeping score. Just get better, okay?"

She pulled away to smile at him. "That's easy, with you here."

He couldn't find an answer to that, so he just hugged her again, tight.


	4. Decent (The Queen Of Peace)

**SPOILERS FOR _THE QUEEN OF PEACE_**

Asriel knocked on the door to the bathroom. "Can I come in?" he wondered.

A pause. "Why, Asriel?" Frisk answered, scowling at the door. She had just finished her shower and wasn't even dressed.

"To... help?" he offered.

She paused again. He sounded sincere. "Help with what?"

"Well... I know it's been hard for you to dress lately, so..."

Asriel had her, there. She was five months pregnant and was having a hard time adjusting to her increasing size. Still, it embarrassed her a little, despite the fact that he'd seen her naked - and naked in this state - myriad times already.

"I'm not... decent," she blurted out stupidly, knowing a ridiculous excuse when she heard one. She knew why she was making excuses: she didn't want to burden Asriel. 

Asriel, from his side of the door, smiled. "You're always decent, love."

Frisk felt her heart warm at this. With a shy smile, she opened the door and let him in. "Okay," she agreed, smiling faintly at him. "I could use your help, it's true."

Before he did anything, however, he hugged her close, nudity and all. She blushed again, but hugged him back, closing her eyes, the warmth in her heart spreading through her whole body.

"Shall we get you dressed, then?" Asriel asked gently, pulling away and lightly touching her cheek, then her belly, smiling so kindly she felt her heart ache. She nodded, and with the same kind of gentleness and care that he'd shown her in the hospital, he helped her get dressed, his hands soft and his gestures patient. When she was finally 'decent', she grabbed him into another tight hug, and he smiled, closing his eyes.

"Asriel, I love you," she whispered. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Frisk," he replied. He held her close, stroking her wet hair gently. "Even if you are a weirdo about being naked."

She laughed, the sound music to his ears.


	5. Union (The Queen Of Peace)

**SPOILERS FOR _THE QUEEN OF PEACE_**

They got married on a winter day, in a small courthouse in the city. Frisk held Nicky in her arms the whole time, even as she fussed and squirmed, grabbing at Frisk's hair and the sash around her shoulders, but Frisk didn't mind. She held Asriel's hand tight, as the human judge presided over them.

It was very small, very informal, and very fast. But, in truth, they'd already had their real wedding ages ago, Underground; this was just a final, legal formality, one that they could finally have, after so much hardship and sacrifice.

When they were declared married, Frisk and Asriel kissed, and Nicky screamed, suddenly delighted to be sandwiched between her parents. She grabbed at Frisk's hair and Asriel's ears, and they both laughed, unable to help it.

Both Asgore and Toriel embraced them immediately, Asgore crying and Toriel beaming. Nicky was delighted by this as well, and the judge stepped back, unsure how to react to the hug-pile of Dreemurrs suddenly before him. The judge had no idea how important this ceremony was to all of them, and they were still hugging long after the judge had left, scratching their head in obvious bemusement.

But no one could match the Dreemurrs' happiness at that moment.


	6. Cleansed (Too Heavy A Burden)

**SPOILERS FOR _TOO HEAVY A BURDEN_**

Finally, Frisk and Asriel were alone, their first true night alone in Solace, their new home. Frisk held Asriel's hand tight as she led him to their finally-furnished bedroom. There were still stacks of boxes here and there, but now was not the time to worry about unpacking things. Now, there was only them.

They kissed, the first time doing so alone in a while. It was deep, and held all of the feelings they'd had to keep reigned in while their family had been there. Now, there was no holding back, something they both knew - and upheld.

Frisk held Asriel to her by the front of his shirt as she kissed him, her grip firm, and Asriel's arms went around her, his hands warm against her back, a small sound escaping from him against her lips. When she licked his lips apart, he stumbled, grabbing onto her for balance, and her arms went around his neck, keeping him against her. She could feel his desire against her body and moved in a way that he knew she did, and again he made a sound against her lips, louder, his hands clutching her tight.

Those sounds had an affect on her, and she slipped her hands down and grabbed onto the hem of his shirt, tugging on it. Asriel broke from the kiss, and she pulled it off, before he did the same for her. They kissed again, and Asriel unhooked and pulled her bra off quickly. Finally, their skin met, and they both sighed, clinging to each other.

Frisk pushed him down onto their bed, before she straddled him closely, lying her body on his and kissing him again. He moaned softly, holding her tight, now tugging at her pants, and she moved back to wriggle out of them - and her underwear - before reaching for his. She pulled both off of him, then tossed them to the floor, trailing her hands over his chest as he reached up and cupped her breasts in his hands. She sighed again, rubbing up closely again, before reaching down with one hand and wrapping her fingers around him tight.

He made another sound at that, his eyes opening, finding hers already staring into his, their colour bright. She moved astride him again, and kept her eyes on his as she lowered down, taking his length deep into her. His eyes closed, and he grabbed her hips, hissing out her name. She closed her eyes and sat up, her hands on his shoulders. She tilted her head back, relishing in the feel of him, before slowly beginning to move. His fingers dug into her hips and he moved with her, and she gasped out, smiling. Asriel opened his eyes and watched her for a moment, loving how happy she looked, how her eyes shone and her cheeks went red.

He murmured her name again, and her eyes met his. She smiled wider, then leaned down and cupped his face between her hands, staring deeply into his eyes and saying his name as she moved. Asriel reached up and touched the back of her head, pulling her close for a kiss, and she returned it, the smile remaining.

She gripped him hard, and soon began to grind against him, pulling him deeper, and he gasped out her name again, his arms going around her tight. She clutched at his shoulders, her eyes now squeezed shut, and she choked out his name. He knew that sound now so well, and he held her close as she kept moving, before she buried her face into his shoulder and cried out, gripping tight, her whole body going hot as she came.

Asriel shut his eyes, already so close, but he held her as she eased through it. Then, once she could, she sat up, grabbed onto his shoulders, and began to move again. He shut his eyes, and Frisk leaned down and nuzzled his neck. He held her closer, gritting his teeth, and she gently nipped the curve of his neck. He groaned out her name between his teeth and came, holding her close, and she purred his name gently against his neck.

When he was calm, she curled up onto his chest, still straddling him. Asriel kept her close, stroking her hair slowly, and she reached up and stroked one of his ears, making him sigh and smile - and her giggle. He grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around them, and Frisk snuggled close.

It was the perfect way to start their new life together.


	7. Go (Too Heavy A Burden)

**SPOILERS FOR _TOO HEAVY A BURDEN_**

They were fighting, their worst fight yet. Neither remembered how it had begin, nor what exactly it was about, but the fight was full-blast, now and hard to stop. How does one stop a wildfire from spreading through already dry grass?

"It was your turn, Asriel. You always do this!" Frisk shouted, glaring at him. Were she a mage, her eyes would be blazing with her magic. Instead, they blazed with her rage.

 _"I_ always do this?" he countered, his eyes truly blazing. "Me?! _You're_ the one who always leave it at your ass for me to do!"

She went bright red. "I don't!" she protested, though a part of her knew that she sometimes did.

Asriel glared at her. "Neither do I."

"Yes, you do!" she insisted. "You always do this! We're supposed to be partners, Asriel!"

"When you yell at me for stupid reasons, I feel like less of a partner and more of a butler."

"I'll leave," Frisk suddenly said. She hadn't realised it, but she'd defaulted to her standard threat from when they were children and he was still Flowey. "If you keep this up, I'm gone!"

"Then go!" he snarled back, also reverting back. "I never asked for this! Go! Leave me behind, leave your messes behind, as usual!"

With her face set, Frisk turned towards the door, about to pull her shoes on, grab her bag, and do just that.

But at the same time, regret crashed into both of them, and she froze, just as he said, "Wait!"

She did, her head lowered, and suddenly Asriel crashed into her, holding her from behind tight. She sagged, dropping her bag and the shoe she'd been holding, and he whispered, "Don't."

Frisk nodded, her eyes shutting. Asriel buried his face into the back of her shoulder, and she bit her lip. "I'm staying," she promised. "I'm... I'm sorry." She meant it. "I'll do it, okay?"

"I'll help," he agreed, holding her tight.


	8. Shame (Too Heavy A Burden)

**SPOILERS FOR _TOO HEAVY A BURDEN_**

Sometimes, even now, Asriel still had nightmares. They were never as frequent as they had been, and because Frisk was always at his side, when they did occur they were mercifully short, but they still happened.

The worst was when Asriel was so trapped, he didn't even know it, and was fighting Frisk in his sleep, so caught in the horror of his mind that he couldn't claw his way free. In that hell, he was fighting Frisk - her child self - doing everything in his power to kill her, like he had when they'd met, when he still called her Chara. And though the real Frisk was holding him down in their shared bed in the home they'd made together, calling his name and trying to get him to wake, he couldn't escape. He couldn't even hear her pleading with him.

Until, finally, something familiar seemed to dissolve those hated images: Frisk was scratching behind his ears, having grown desperate enough to try anything. The sensation seemed to spread through him like hot coffee, and he struggled to focus on it instead of his murderous memories. He allowed that simple pleasure to overcome that complicated pain, and finally, he snapped free.

Asriel gasped awake, already reaching out to grab onto Frisk, and she pulled him close. He trembled, holding onto her as though for dear life, as she continued to stroke his ears. He gasped into her chest, then started to cry, unable to help it.

"I've got you, sweetie," he heard her say softly. "I'm here. You're not alone."

"Frisk," he blurted out, his voice thick with fear, trembling from it. "Don't let go. Don't let go..." He swallowed, hard. "Please, please don't let me go..."

"Never," she promised, her hands moving from his ears to his back, holding him close and rocking him slowly. The movement soothed him so much he began to sob, tightening his hold on her. She didn't mind. In fact, she was glad he held on so tight: it meant that he was awake, and thus free of his nightmare.

She never asked him what had scared him, and he was too ashamed to tell her, but she still held him through his sobs, always ready with a soothing caress or kind words. No one, not even Toriel, could calm him like Frisk did, and he held her until his tears faded and he drifted back into sleep.

This time, he dreamt only of good things, of Frisk, as she held him through the night.


	9. Objective (The Queen of Peace)

**SPOILERS FOR _THE QUEEN OF PEACE_**

"Okay, Asriel. We can do this." 

Asriel looked fearful. "I don't think we can, Frisk," he admitted. "Every time, we fail, no matter how hard we try. Maybe... maybe we should give up." 

Frisk's eyes flared. "Never, Asriel. We're never going to give up. We're going to win." She pointed to the bathtub. "Get Nickname in there." 

Nicky screamed the moment she saw Frisk pointing at the tub, immediately becoming a sobbing, hysterical ball of slapping hands and kicking legs. Asriel, who was holding her, struggled to pull her off of him, but suddenly she clung to him, and he now had to try and untangle her from his chest. She refused, continuing to scream and cling, her screams so loud they both winced. 

"Be strong!" Frisk said. She reached forward and tried to pull Nicky from Asriel, but Nicky bit her - which happened a lot in this situation - and she yelped, almost letting go, but refusing to. Frisk pulled, and Asriel tried to prise Nicky from his chest, until suddenly he paused. 

"Wait!" he cried, and they all froze, even Nicky. Asriel pulled Nicky closer - to her surprise - gestured for Frisk to let go, and in one move - still dressed, it should be noted - Asriel sat down in the tub with Nicky still attached. She clung to him, her eyes wide, but did not scream. When she saw that her father did not melt or drown - he simply smiled at her - she blinked her tears away, for once not screaming. 

Frisk stayed frozen in place, waiting for Nicky to explode like she always did, but when Asriel gently cupped water into his hand and poured it on his own head, Nicky stared at him in silent awe. When he moved to do the same for her, instead of biting him, she actually let him, giggling when the water touched her hair. 

Asriel beamed at her, very gently easing her into the water, still holding her. She froze, her small hands touching the water carefully, before she suddenly did explode - with laughter. She splashed her father, who laughed and flicked a bit back, and she screamed, in joy this time. 

Frisk sat down on the floor and breathed a happy sigh. "Well," she said, smiling at them both, noticing they wore the same goofy grin. "It works." 


	10. Strength (The Queen Of Peace)

**SPOILERS FOR _THE QUEEN OF PEACE_**

Asriel often said that Frisk made him feel strong. But for Frisk, it was Asriel that made her feel strong.

When she'd been shot, he'd been at her side, both during and the moment she woke up, every time. When she was overdosed, he was there, getting her the help she needed in a timely matter that saved her life. Throughout her recovery, he'd taken care of her with no complaints; he cleaned her wounds, helped her wash and dress, held her when she was sick or sore, and always stayed at her side when she felt scared or lonely. During her pregnancy, he was so patient with her wants and needs, so understanding when her emotions seemed nonsensical. 

When Nicky was born, he'd leapt right into his new role as father, taking care of her as Frisk recovered from the surgery. When Nicky cried in the night, he was always first to his feet, unless Nicky needed to be fed (even then, he'd just bring Nicky to Frisk to save her the trip). When Nicky needed changing, bathing, or just cuddles, and Frisk was too tired or weak from recovering to do so, Asriel never hesitated, never once complained.

When it became evident that her injuries would have lasting effects, Asriel was always there to help, to hold her when she lost her breath, to clean her sweat away when the pain hit her hard, or to distract her when she couldn't get out of bed from either one.

Whenever Asriel's eyes met hers, Frisk felt so much stronger. When he held her, or touched her hand or cheek, or merely smiled at her, she felt like she could truly be the ambassador she was meant to be, and conquer the world peacefully at his side.

Once, when Nicky was asleep in her arms, and Frisk was curled up in Asriel's on their bed, Frisk told him so. He stared at her, shocked, so much so that his eyes filled. She rested her head on his chest, and he held her, sniffling.

"I'm only doing what I know you would do for me," he said, but she shook her head. 

"No," she corrected. "You're being exactly who you are. And I love you so much for it.

And then she started to weep, and he held her. They snuggled close - strong together.


	11. Life

When alone, all Flowey could think of was: is this truly living? When he spent the days lost in thoughts, in memories, all he could wonder was: is this really all there truly is?

That is, until Frisk literally fell into his life, and changed everything. He knew the moment those souls touched him that he'd changed. He knew the moment Frisk touched him, that change was irreversible. He was trapped in this limbo, trapped in this form, but instead of exacting chaos and amusing himself, the moment Frisk hugged him, he knew those days were over.

Even before he made that deal with her, Flowey knew that things would be different. Oh, he fully intended to continue to be a pest, because that was the only true way he could keep in contact with people around him. But he knew that the lust for chaos was long gone, vanished with the barrier. He didn't want to hurt anyone anymore. Least of all Frisk.

So he kept his promise. He remained Underground. He wasn't idle, and those who remained with him soon got to know him quite a bit, albeit begrudgingly, as he still kept his acerbic apathy amongst them. He never made friends, but at least they were distractions.

It was only Fridays that made him happy. He always knew when Frisk was on her way, because the entire Underground loved it when she showed up. Most of the monsters in the Ruins, especially, loved her, and she was always nice enough to greet them. But the moment her feet touched the Ruins, he knew it, and always greeted her the same way.

Flowey wasn't sure why he always attacked Frisk. He knew that, the first time, it was to test how serious she was, if she truly meant to uphold the reality of what keeping his company could mean. After that, he just kept at it, always testing her as his greeting. He wanted to make sure that she was serious about this - serious and willing to put up with his ugliness. When, soon, she barely even blinked, he realised just how important that - and she - was to him.

Attacking her was also his way to cover up his true feelings upon seeing her: joy.


	12. Contempt

The jealousy that Flowey felt for Frisk sometimes bordered on hatred. He couldn't help it at times, despite his affection for her. When it came through, he had no filters, because he knew she expected it, anyway. He regretted it later, especially if she left in tears, but he still couldn't help it.

"What's your problem tonight, Frisky?" he demanded once he was done attacking her. She was glaring, her face red, but not even at him until he spoke.

"It's Mami and Papi," she grumbled, resting her chin on her knees. She was fifteen at the time - the classic age of parental angst. "They're so... judgemental. 'Be back before dark. Finish your homework. Do your chores.'" She glowered. "Blah, blah, blah."

Flowey didn't know what she'd expected from him when she said this, but what he did say wasn't it.

"You mean the parents who love you despite being a dumbass human?" he sneered, his grin twisted. "Who gave you a home when you had none, who fought tooth and claw for you to survive?"

Frisk raised her head, her eyes flaring, but Flowey wasn't done. He was truly angry, now, at hearing her pithy complaints.

"The parents who forgive you despite your constant whining, your moodiness? Who always embrace you with love and kindness? That even though they make small demands, they still _love you?!_ " He grinned, seeing her furious tears and feeling a sick kind of satisfaction. "You spoilt, miserable _brat."_

"Sometimes I hate you, Flowey!" she snarled, getting to her feet.

"You can't leave until you've updated me!" he snarled back. "Are you really going to let your childish selfishness break our deal?!"

Frisk glowered at him, tears running down her cheeks, shaking with her anger. Between her teeth, she updated him quickly about what was happening on the surface.

She concluded with, "I forgot the book. No story this week. See you later, Asriel. You asshole." She stormed away.

When he was alone again, Flowey lowered his head, and was sorry.


	13. Wrong (Hiding)

**SPOILERS FOR _HIDING_**

****

Asriel sometimes found himself jealous of sans. Though they'd both known Frisk for the same amount of time, she and sans had shared far more time together, and had shared even more earlier. Granted, with time, Frisk was closer to Asriel than she ever could be with sans, but when she heard them laugh together about injokes, he felt that jealousy all the same. 

One time, he'd become frustrated, mostly at himself. They'd spent lunch at the school with everyone, and sans kept teasing Frisk with an injoke that she kept getting flustered over. It really annoyed him, but he kept quiet, though he was a bit grumpier than usual with the students for the rest of the day.

That night, as they were just going to bed, Asriel muttered, "What the hell is 'Superbonk', anyway?"

Frisk froze, going scarlet immediately, and she stared at him. "You... don't know?" she wondered. "I always though sans would tell you. He always threatens to."

"The bastard and I don't exchange injokes, Frisk," he said flatly. "Whenever you two talk, it's like a whole new language. It's annoying." He blurted it out without thinking, and her face fell. He regretted it, but she surprised him.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "It really must be. I never thought of it."

Asriel shook his head, feeling like an ass. "It's not really your fault," he admitted. "I guess I'm kinda... jealous of you two."

Frisk blinked at him. "Jealous? Of what?"

Asriel blinked at her. "You don't see it?"

"See what?"

"You two act like an old married couple!" he answered, rolling his eyes. "I'm your husband and I only know one language to talk to you, and he knows two!"

"And that makes you jealous?" Frisk was staring at him.

The blood rushed to his face in embarrassment. "Yes!" he snapped. 

Frisk sighed, sagging a bit. "That's silly, Asriel," she said. "But..." She blushed again. "I'll just tell you, okay? What sans was saying, the Superbonk thing."

Asriel blinked, two feelings battling in him. He felt bad, because clearly she was embarrassed and he hated making her feel that way. Yet he was also curious. So he said nothing, unsure of what to say.

So she told him what it meant.

By the time she was done, they were both scarlet. Then, he snorted, before bursting into laughter. Frisk's face burned, and she smacked him with a pillow. "Shut up!" she pleaded. He tried, but couldn't stop, now, and it was only made worse every time she pillow-smacked him. 

When he was finally laughed out, she glowered at him. "Now do you see why I hate that joke? It's nothing for you to be jealous of!"

"Oh, I agree. I was wrong. But I'm glad I know it," he replied, brushing the tears from his eyes. "It's not that bad! You were a kid! It's kinda cute, that voices can do that to you--!"

She smacked him again, hard, and he fell over. But this time, she was smiling a little. "Dweeb," she replied affectionately.

Asriel smiled at her. "But your dweeb," he added. And Frisk laughed, unable to help it at that. She hugged him, and he gave her a kiss on her cheek, before nuzzling her lightly. She smiled wider and leaned closer.

"Also," Frisk added softly, a hand going up his chest, "you do know a second language with me, one only you know."

And she kissed him, deeply, proving him wrong yet again.


	14. Sweeten (All This And Heaven Too)

**SPOILERS FOR _ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO_**

On their first year anniversary, Frisk baked Asriel a cake. She had sent him out in the early afternoon with errands, and when he came back two hours later (it was a long list), she'd just finished iceing it. The moment he walked in, she met him with it in her hands, grinning. He froze, speechless.

"Happy anniversary!" she sang out, dancing a little on the spot. "Look! Cake! Like when we started our deal!"

Asriel, of course, knew; it was what held him so spellbound. He set the bags down, about to kiss her, but she instead shoved a handful of cake into his mouth.

He blinked, chewing, then sighed with a smile. It was actually very good, and brought back memories of sweeter moments being Underground with her. It was as if, back then, he could forget the unpleasantness and always have the pleasant, with Frisk there.

Asriel stared at her, even when he was done. She beamed at him, her hand still covered in cake. "Just how you like it," she added teasingly, wriggling her fingers at him. He noticed that she was, like then, covered in flour and sugar, and gently, he brushed his hand over one dusted cheek. Her eyes softened a little, her smile warm. He placed his other hand on her shoulder, lowering his hand from her face--

\--and grabbed a handful of cake, shoving it in her mouth before she could say anything more. She stumbled, blinking in her surprise, and he started laughing. "I finally get my revenge!" he said.

She swallowed and grinned at him, her eyes sparking in the way he loved so much. She had a handful before he knew it, and had managed to cover his mouth again before he could so much as blink. He went to retaliate, and she jumped back with a triumphant laugh, before putting the cake down and breaking into a run.

Asriel grabbed the cake and ran after her, grinning.


	15. Hands (The Queen of Peace)

**SPOILERS FOR _THE QUEEN OF PEACE_**

Asriel had wonderful hands, with long fingers that ended in blunt claws, and a strength hidden within them not noticeable at first. These were not hands of a prince, but of a landscaper, with calloused edges and sometimes a bit of earth caught under their claws. Frisk adored them. They were strong enough to haul around saplings, but they were also so gentle, soft enough to bring chills to her skin when he touched her. 

Frisk had better hands, in Asriel's opinion, though she adamantly disagreed. They were smooth, and slender, and always a comfort to him, ready with kindness and tenderness that he usually didn't feel he deserved. Yet he also knew that hers could be strong, too. When she reached for him to pull him close, or somehow held Nicky one-handed - even as she grew older - she never hesitated. They were pacifist hands, but never weak.

Together, when their hands met, they both knew that they were safe. Despite the differences they shared, together they felt as if they were unstoppable. Be it a simple touch to the back of a hand, or a tight, nail-digging clutch, there was still deep trust and deeper love. Both knew that they were safe in each other's hold.


	16. Strangle

Sometimes - many times - Frisk was tempted to throttle Flowey. The way he was so blatantly rude to her, no matter how nice she was to him; the way he always mocked her whenever she was anything but cheerful; the way he always taunted her whenever he knew she was thinking about him as Asriel... countless times, she'd wanted to grab him and just choke the life out of him, she got so sick of it all.

But then, there were times when she managed to make him laugh - regardless of the circumstance - or when she outsmarted him and managed to get him to shut up. The best times were when they read together, then talked about it. They both liked to learn, and Flowey was always fascinated by things - especially stories - from the surface. Those were times in which Frisk could see just a tiny bit of Asriel in him, and it always made her remember why she put up with so much of his crap in the first place.

"That," said Flowey, when Frisk closed the latest book, "was the best one yet."

She eyed him closely. Was he being sarcastic? "But it was a happy ending. You hate those."

He sniffed. "Most of it was miserable. Youko only gets happy near the end."

Frisk could hardly believe her ears. "But... when she meets Rakushun, and when she goes to En--,"

"Yeah, yeah." Flowey rolled his eyes. _"Despite that,_ it was still really good!" He curled closer to her, eyeing the book. "Are there more to this series?"

"Uh." Frisk was still stunned. "Yeah."

"Let's start the next one next week, okay?" he ordered, one stalk twisting around her arm as usual (she was sure he did it to annoy her; she was very, very wrong), and she shook him off.

"Okay," she agreed. "But what if it ends happy, too?"

"I'll risk it."

Frisk allowed herself to wonder if he actually liked it _because_ it ended happy. Then, it was easy not to strangle the pollen out of him.


	17. Lullaby (The Queen of Peace)

**SPOILERS FOR _THE QUEEN OF PEACE_**

The first time he heard Frisk singing to Nicky, Asriel was frozen in place, stunned. He was walking down the hall and heard her. Frisk's voice was... okay. She could sing a tune well enough, if she'd heard it enough times, though her voice was a little shaky and couldn't reach high notes without cracking. 

This song, however, she sang very well, so well that Asriel had to lean against the wall for balance, overwhelmed by it.

Frisk held Nicky to her, gently rocking her to sleep after feeding her. She sang the song she'd heard so many years ago, in a long, rainy hallway beneath a sad-looking statue. It was the same song she'd hummed when alone and still pregnant. Nicky loved it, always going quiet and sleepy in her arms, even if Frisk sometimes missed a few notes. It always made Frisk smile, how the song pulled Nicky to sleep.

What she didn't know was that it had worked the same way for Asriel when he was young. Which was why, now, his heart was aching, not only from the memories of Toriel and Asgore singing to him, but also from the beauty of Frisk's voice as she sang it to their daughter. Slowly, he went to the bedroom, and the moment she noticed him, she stopped, going bright red. Luckily, Nicky didn't fuss - not even when Asriel leaned down and cupped Frisk's face into his hands and kissed her.

"Keep singing," he whispered. "Please."

Frisk blushed deeper, then nodded. He moved and stood behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders and his chin on her head, and with a shaky, shy start, she continued to sing.

By the time Nicky was asleep, Asriel was in tears. Frisk shifted her head to look up at him, and he lowered his head and kissed her again.

"That was perfect," he said softly, and she blushed again. "Well," she said shyly, "Nicky likes it, anyway."

"She has good taste," he replied, and Frisk smiled at him. He hugged them both gently and held them close, feeling so happy that it took his breath away.


	18. Untouchable (Too Heavy A Burden)

**SPOILERS FOR _TOO HEAVY A BURDEN_**

There were times that Asriel felt almost afraid to touch Frisk. Even though, from the start, she was always open and welcoming when it came to touching him, he often hesitated to touch her, first. Especially intimately. He'd seen her at both her strongest and weakest points, and knew her limits, but he was still afraid. The reason, though, he always denied, despite it being obvious.

Whenever he reached for her, no matter what, his hands shook. Frisk noticed, once, and, taking one of his hands between hers, asked why. 

"I..." He swallowed, his mouth dry. How could he explain it? It felt impossible to word it in a way that would make sense and not hurt her. "I don't..." He sighed. "I don't want to hurt you, Frisk."

Her eyes softened. "You haven't hurt me, once, in all of these years since the barrier broke, Asriel. Not even as Flowey! Well," she narrowed her eyes a little. "At least not _physically_ as Flowey."

"But I've hurt you, before," Asriel said sadly. "I almost killed you."

"You were in so much pain, yourself," Frisk answered with no hesitation. "I don't blame you at all for your grief."

"But what if I hurt you again, without meaning to?" he wondered, his hands shaking from the idea, alone. 

Frisk touched his face with her other hand and rubbed his downy cheek gently. "You wouldn't," she said gently, looking very sincere. "You'd never let yourself." She smiled. "Nor would I."

He hugged her, then, his arms around her tight and his face in her shoulder. Frisk held him close, stroking his hair slowly. She could feel him crying.

"Plus," she added, a note of humour in her voice. "I'm small, but not a pushover. You, of all people, should know that."

Asriel smiled faintly and closed his eyes. He nodded, and when he did, his hands stopped shaking.


	19. Whispered (Too Heavy A Burden)

**SPOILERS FOR _TOO HEAVY A BURDEN_**

Asriel discovered that Frisk talked in her sleep. It didn't happen very often, but when it did, it was very hard to ignore. It would wake him up, and he couldn't help but listen.

"Rice in the pot..." she muttered once. "Rinse it, first. Less sticky."

Asriel blinked awake and turned to her, finding her on her side and looking frustrated - despite being heavily asleep.

"Won't stick to your fur that way," she added. "Promise. Just... rinse it first."

Her voice was low, and slurred, but still coherent - and insistent. Gently, Asriel leaned close and murmured, "Got it. Rice in the pot, rinse first."

"Kay. Good," she replied. Then, nothing. She was quiet again. Asriel stared at her, quite surprised that this had never come up before - or that he had missed it if it did. Granted, they were still getting used to sharing a bed, so that could have been why. But it was odd, to say the least.

When it happened again, it wasn't so benign.

"No..." Frisk murmured, her voice wavering. Asriel jolted awake and was grabbing her hand before he even realised she was still asleep. Her hand gripped his tight despite this, her face drawn in worry. "Asriel..."

He moved closer, kissing her hand gently. "I'm right here."

"Don't... let go..."

"I won't," he promised.

Her grip stayed firm, but her expression eased, and she added, "Don't let me go..." 

He kissed her hand again. "Never," he agreed, and she relaxed, back to quiet sleep. He kept his word, though, and held her hand through the night.

She never remembered these moments, always waking up calm and happy to see him. He wondered, then, just how much she buried during the day, if it kept coming out in her sleep. This was made more and more clear the longer they spent together, and from what he heard at night.

"Won't let anyone hurt you, Asriel..."

He opened his eyes slowly, still curled up in her arms, when she sleep-spoke this. Her arms held him tight, even in sleep, and he moved closer, nodding slowly against her shoulder. "I know," he replied gently.

"Never want you... to hurt again..." Her voice wavered, and he looked up again, seeing her sadness and feeling his own at the sight of it. He reached up and touched her cheek, and she sighed deeply.

"I'm okay, Frisk," he reassured her gently. She relaxed, her head turned towards him, and he kept stroking her cheek until he was sure she was quiet for the night. He wished he knew what she saw in her sleep to make her so afraid, so that he could find some way to banish it away. Since she never remembered, that made it even more frustrating.

With time, the spaces between these moments stretched longer, much like his nightmares. It was almost as if the longer they stayed together, the smaller her fears became. But sometimes, it still happened.

Once, after months of silence, Frisk woke Asriel again. Her tone was sharp, but also hurt. "If you hate me, be honest... don't pretend..."

Confused, Asriel turned to her and answered, "I'd never hate you."

"Then... why do you treat me this way? Can't you... just pretend to be nice... like back then?"

Asriel's eyes widened in understanding, and he winced. She was dreaming of him, but as Flowey. He had no idea what to say, and he remained frozen by her words, especially as she went on.

"You were... so kind. So open. I know you're there, somewhere... Just, for once, please? Asriel...?"

That snapped him out of it, and he pulled her close, stroking her hair slowly, hoping to wake her up. She relaxed in his arms, and said, so softly, "There you are... I knew it..."

She was quiet after that, but Asriel wasn't; he cried softly, unable to help it. It was clear that, over time, she'd always believed in him, and would never give up on him, even at his worst. It was very bittersweet.

In the morning, when she woke up and smiled at him, he returned it, pulling her close and kissing her. It surprised her, and she laughed, but that was fine. He preferred her laughs to her tears any day - especially if caused by him.


	20. Prayers (Too Heavy A Burden)

**SPOILERS FOR _TOO HEAVY A BURDEN_**

Monsters were a practical lot. When it came to things like spirituality or the supernatural, the viewpoint was pretty simple: what you see is what you get. 

As someone raised to believe that monsters were myth, Frisk sometimes wondered about things. After all, if monsters, souls, and magic were all real, what else could be?

When Asriel was still Flowey, he teased her about this. "Are you so childish that you'd cling to stupid fantasies like that?"

"But _you_ exist!" Frisk protested. "You were dead, but now you're here, thanks to both magic and science!"

Flowey smirked. "Don't think I never think about _that_." 

Frisk scowled at him. "Shut up. You know you like life. Admit it." When he scoffed, she decided to ignore it. "If you exist, who's to say what else could or could not be real?"

"You're an idiot," he answered, always able to end any conversation that way. He couldn't speak his true feelings, because to do so would ruin his charade. 

However, when he was Asriel again, and he was able to actually be normal, he began to wonder for himself. He wondered even more whenever he was with Frisk - especially intimately. When he was with Frisk, he couldn't believe how amazing he felt, how lucky he was - and it made him wonder.

He brought it up when they had just finished making love, and they were lying side-by-side, panting. Frisk's eyes were closed, her face bright red and sweaty, but she was grinning. Asriel looked at her, still breathless, and his heart jumped with happiness.

"Frisk," he said softly, and she opened her eyes and looked at him. "I'm sorry."

She stared at him. "For having sex with me?" 

Asriel blushed. "No! Of course not! I'm sorry..." He tugged on his hair a little in his embarrassment, and she rolled on her side and curled up beside him. She smiled up at him patiently, and he couldn't help it: he smiled back. "One time, you talked about supernatural stuff. I... mocked you for it."

Frisk blinked, then nodded, remembering. "That's right," she agreed. "Monsters don't really have things like myths or religions, do they?"

"Well, not really, except for the angel prophecy," he agreed. "But now, especially now, I feel like an ass for how I treated you. You're right: there's no way you or I could know everything."

Frisk stared up at him, her face sombre. "What changed your mind?"

"You did," he admitted, touching her cheek. "With you, I see everything with a blur between real and fantasy."

"You make it sound like you're drunk on me," she teased, but he actually though the description wasn't so off. He'd never been drunk before, but he'd seen Toriel drunk, and the way she'd acted was similar to how he felt around Frisk.

"You're not wrong," he said finally, and she smirked. "But it's less losing clarity and more like... willing to see more than what's there, you know?" He made a face. "Does that make any sense?"

"It does to me," she agreed. "It's how I felt the day I jumped Underground and met you. Excited, but also really confused, but still excited to learn more." She shifted closer to him and rested her chin on his chest. "So, what's true and not true to you, now?"

"Honestly?" He scratched his cheek. "I have no clue. But..." He glanced at her fondly. "I've a feeling that I'll be able to find out with you."

Frisk laughed. "You're so corny, but I love it."

"Then I'm cornbread," he replied, picking that phrase up from Asgore. "It's how I feel."

"Well, I feel like I'm going to learn a lot with you, Asriel," she replied, giving his chest - over his heart - a kiss.

Both were right.


	21. Obvious (Too Heavy A Burden)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I've decided to write 100 prompts instead of 30, so that means way more than anticipated! 
> 
> I need your help, tho. There are twenty chapters that are writer's choice prompts, but I want YOU to choose them. So, if you have a prompt that differs from the rest, leave a request! :D
> 
> Okay bye :P

**SPOILERS FOR _TOO HEAVY A BURDEN_**

Until he'd actually told her, Frisk had had no idea how Asriel truly felt about her. She knew her own feelings, as complicated and confusing as they were, for him, but never imagined that they would be returned, in any sense of the word. 

She knew he cared for her, yes. Or at least, now she did. As Flowey, there were times in which he'd shown some signs of being more than what he was, but he had her so fooled that she assumed it was fancy on her side and nothing else. 

When she admitted this to him, Asriel stared at her. "No, that was me almost blowing it," he admitted. "Especially when it came to the books you picked. But also, because I'd already, uh..." He blushed and looked away, and she tilted her head at him, confused. "...fallen in love with you," he muttered shyly. 

"What?" Frisk blinked wide eyes at him. "As Flowey? You never told me that!" 

Asriel scratched at his cheek. "It was sort of obvious!" he answered. "I kept trying to hug you! Don't you remember--?" 

"That was hugging?!" Frisk demanded. "When you would always twist a vine around my arm?!" 

Asriel was scarlet, now. "Yeah," he mumbled. 

"I thought you were just trying to annoy me!" she said, her eyes blazing, now. She was mentally going back to the myriad times he'd done that, and suddenly, she blushed; there were quite a few. 

"No," he muttered, covering his face with his arms and lying back. "I figured that the first time, I'd be blowing it, but you barely blinked, so I just... kept doing it." 

Frisk was gaping at him. She felt like such an idiot. Looking back, it was obvious how often she'd applied her own assumptions over what was so clearly there. It wasn't - never had been - fancy on her part, after all. 

"Frisk," Asriel sighed. "I adore you, but... you can be a real idiot when it comes to your own emotions." He lowered his arms and was now grinning at her, teasing, despite his blush. 

"You're a good liar!" she protested, but now she realised how silly that sounded. He was, yes - but not when it came to her. She truly had had no idea. 

"Or maybe," he said softly, touching her cheek lightly, "it was easier for both of us to believe those lies." 

She turned to him, her eyes softening, and he gazed back, the smile on his face smaller, now. She took his hand, and he pulled her down towards him and kissed her. 

"This way," she murmured against his lips, "is much better." 

"Agreed," he replied, hugging her close. 


	22. Rhythm (Too Heavy A Burden)

**SPOILERS FOR _TOO HEAVY A BURDEN_**

When it came to sex, Frisk was amazed by how easy it had been - and continued to be - with Asriel. Growing up, she'd had no interest in dating or relationships, the reason being her deeply confused feelings that she always held for Flowey. Therefore, when she and Asriel first had sex, it had been her first time - as it had been for him. She knew her own body, knew the theory of sex, but had never even kissed anyone before Asriel.

She told him this one time, and he was surprised, which in turn got her a little mad. They had just finished watching a romantic movie (The Princess Bride), and she brought it up. He confessed that he had assumed she had been intimate before him, and she glowered at him, surprising him.

"Why do you look like you want to punch me?" he wondered, a little worried that she actually would.

"I was a virgin, you know!" she answered sharply.

He blushed. "I know, I know! But, I... didn't, then. Because it was so... easy. You seemed to know what you were doing. Do you know what I mean?"

She sighed. "No."

"I mean, don't you think that, especially given the circumstances, the sex was... really good?" He smiled shyly. "I figured it was because of that, that you already had."

"I didn't know what I was doing!" she confessed, her tone sharp, still. "I was just going along with instinct!"

Asriel smiled at her. "You... have really good instinct, then."

Frisk flicked his nose, and he wrinkled it and laughed. "Or maybe you do," she returned.

"You were the one on top," he pointed out, poking her nose in return.

She blushed. "Instinct!" she insisted. "And I heard no protests!"

Asriel grinned mischievously. "I will never protest you being on top."

She finally laughed, leaning against him and looking right into his eyes. "It really was amazing, wasn't it?"

He nodded, wrapping his arms around her. "It really was. And it keeps getting better."

She grinned, then moved closer and hopped onto his lap, straddling him and pressing her forehead to his, gazing into his eyes and feeling almost lost within their depths. He pulled her closer, his eyes closing for a moment. When they opened again, she could see the desire within in, one that she already felt flaring up within herself.

"The situation was weird," Frisk said softly. "But it didn't feel weird. It felt like the most natural step in the world. Is that stupid?"

Asriel smiled at her warmly, kissing her nose. "No, of course not. It's how I feel, too, and we can't both be stupid."

She smiled, then leaned close and kissed him, her body pressing closer to him, and he shifted a little, a small sound escaping him against her lips. His hands slipped under her shirt and he brushed his fingers over her skin, before reaching to unhook her bra. She shivered, licking his lips apart, and his palms were already reaching beneath her bra and brushing over her hardened nipples as their tongues met. Frisk's hands tugged at the front of his shirt, and he reluctantly pulled away to take it off; Frisk did the same.

Asriel pulled her back, their skin finally touching, and they both sighed deeply, then shared a small laugh at that. Asriel kissed her neck, then kept kissing down from her neck to one breast, gently licking. She leaned back, her eyes closing, and Asriel reached up and cupped her other breast, eager for her reactions. She smiled, her hands in his hair, and her legs tightened around him.

"Asriel," she whispered, leaning down and kissing the top of his head. "Asriel, I... I want you."

Asriel raised his head and smiled at her, even though his face was red. "I want you, Frisk," he admitted, rubbing his cheek against hers.

She smiled brightly, then reached down and undid his pants, her hands brushing over his erection teasingly as she did. He closed his eyes and grabbed for hers, and for a moment they both tugged, then laughed. Frisk moved off of him and took hers off, and he did the same before pulling her back. She kissed him again, one hand grabbing onto him and stroking along his length slowly, and he grabbed onto her, gasping a little. "Frisk," he pleaded, and she licked his lips, keeping hold of him as she moved closer, before lowering herself onto him. They both sighed again, and for a moment, they stayed still, clinging close together.

"This feels so natural," Frisk whispered against his lips. "You. Us. This."

"I can't imagine this with anyone else but you," Asriel admitted breathlessly, his hands clutching at her back.

"Me, either," she agreed, her arms around his neck. 

Frisk then began to move, and Asriel buried his face into her shoulder, holding her close. She moved her hands to his shoulders and held tight, adjusting in order to take him in as deep as possible, her face already feeling hot, her eyes closed tight.

"Frisk," Asriel whispered into her shoulder. "You... you're..."

"Hm...?" she whispered back, her head tilting back a little the more she moved.

"I..." He groaned a little before he could finish. "You're... amazing... I... love you... so much..."

She smiled, leaning forward and kissing his forehead softly. "I love you, and so are you."

"You feel incredible," he gasped out.

"So... do you," she replied, her voice catching a little before her eyes closed again, and she gritted her teeth. "So... good..." She growled that out, and Asriel could feel her muscles tighten around him and knew that she was close. He reached for her and took her face between his hands, kissing her deeply, and she returned it, the small sounds she made muffled by his kiss. Her nails dug into his shoulders, and her legs gripped around his waist harder. "Asriel...!" It was the only thing she managed to get out before she hit her peak, and she moaned against his lips, her movements going a little unsteady as she rode through it. Asriel held her close, the feel of her coming bringing himself closer already.

When she could, Frisk broke the kiss, grabbed onto the back of the couch, and began to move again, this time faster. Asriel gasped, clinging onto her and burying his face into her shoulder, and she grinned, her eyes closed and her face red. She shifted herself in order to bring him deeper and at a faster pace, and he gasped again, meeting each of her moves with thrusts of his own. "Frisk, I..." he breathed out against her shoulder, and she nodded, a gesture he felt. "I'm... really close..."

"Good," she replied, smiling again. She leaned down and nuzzled him, and he moved to kiss her, hard, his hands clutching at her back hard, nails digging in. He said her name again, only it was drawn out, almost a growl mixed with a plea, and she gripped onto him tight in reply. That did it for him, and he came, hard, saying her name in a strained and desperate voice, his whole body overcome. She held him to her, and he panted, shaking.

They stayed that way for a moment, holding onto each other as their hearts slowed, both feeling deep pleasure humming through their bodies. Frisk's hands lowered, moving to Asriel's waist, and Asriel kept his around her, his hands still at her back, but loosely, now. 

Frisk then whispered, "Thank you."

Asriel opened his eyes slowly. "For... what?" he wondered, a little breathless, still.

She smiled at him. "For you being you."

"It's all I know how to be," he admitted.

"Good," she said again, kissing his cheek. "Because that's all I've ever wanted for you, Asriel."

Asriel gathered her closer, and she melted into his embrace, her heart so light and warm that she was unable to do anything but smile. Asriel, too, felt this way, and was also smiling, though he didn't even realise it.

"I love you, Frisk," he whispered again.

"I love you, Asriel," she replied, holding him close. He sighed, and she rested against him, feeling content and safe.


	23. Afterlife (Delilah)

**SPOILERS FOR _DELILAH_**

For an afterlife, at least Flowey could say it was interesting. To be trapped as a flower when he was once a prince was challenging - to put it optimistically - and very rarely dull. Especially when he still had his powers, and could manipulate all around him to keep himself busy (if also a little sick at his own actions at times).

When Frisk fell, and he broke the barrier, he was sure, with the loss of his powers, that this afterlife of his would now become unbearably dull, lonely, and bereft of meaning. But then Frisk promised to see him every week - and upheld that promise, too - and suddenly, that fugue state of his was bearable again.

Whenever she was with him, life seemed easier to live. He felt less like a trapped soul in limbo, and more like a free monster in real life. No matter what, the world always seemed more alive when she was there.

He figured that it would be his life until one of them died, and had resigned himself to that fate. So when Frisk managed to break him free and give him his life back as Asriel, he wondered: what comes after your own afterlife? Or was it merely a new kind of limbo?

It was only when he thought Frisk was dead, and he was faced with being alone in a world without her, that it felt more like hell than limbo.

But when she woke up and said his name, and he was able to finally hold her in his arms like he'd always dreamt, he realised, all at once, that this was neither limbo or hell, but his own kind of heaven. He loved her so much that any time spent with her seemed almost unreal, and yet it was wonderful.

She'd given his afterlife meaning, and gave him another chance at true life. Regardless of what truly came after death, he didn't care - so long as he could spend it with Frisk at his side.


	24. Hidden

There was one time that Flowey had the most trouble hiding his feelings - and true self - from Frisk, and that was the year she was sixteen, and had come to the Ruins with the flu. He was shocked when he saw her: she walked slowly, wore a heavy sweater and a scarf, and yet she still shivered. He heard her coughing before she even came into the garden, and when she did, she looked terrible. She sat down heavily on the ground, her head in her hands, as she waited for him, sniffling with each breath, her eyes closed.

Flowey attacked her, but barely, and that was just as well, as her reflexes were slow, and even at his spare attacks, she had trouble evading them.

The moment it was done, he popped up and stared at her, trying to keep his face twisted in a sneer, but inside he was worried - very worried - about her, and it was difficult. The way she looked was almost too familiar to him, and it scared him.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" he demanded.

Frisk stared at him in return, her eyes shadowed and a little glassy. She held up a book. "It's Friday," she said, her voice hoarse. "Where else would I be?"

"You're sick," he answered, wrapping around her arm, unable to help that. She didn't even fight him on it. "You look like shit, Frisk."

"Thanks," she muttered, opening the book. "Read first, then update? Or update, first?"

"Do your parents know where you are?" was his sharp answer.

"No," she admitted. "They think I'm sleeping."

"Go home, you idiot," he snapped, his grip on her arm tightening. "Lest you give me whatever you have."

"We had a deal, Flowey," she said tiredly. "I seem to remember promising to be here regardless of health."

Flowey paused. She was right. He had made her promise that. "Well," he said, "nevermind! Go home, you're grossing me out!"

Frisk glared at him. "So you can break your promise? No, thank you."

She had him there, and it frustrated him. He didn't want her to be sick at all, let alone forcing herself out while this sick. For a dizzying moment, he debated letting the ruse vanish, his fear and worry almost overtaking him, and he wanted to tell her everything, in order to just get her home and back to bed - and safe.

But when he looked into her eyes, he saw that beneath that haze of illness lay another one of determination. To her, she truly meant to uphold her end of the bargain, regardless of her own health, if it meant that he kept his. He couldn't just throw it all away. She'd made it here, so who was he to tell her to get lost?

Besides, he didn't want her to leave. He never did. He'd watch over her, take care of her, while she was here.

"What book did you bring?" he wondered.

Frisk held it up. "The Wee Free Men," she replied, smiling a little. He eyed it closely, then nodded. It looked interesting enough. He pulled from her arm and curled up into his spiral, but moved an extra vine back on her arm. She barely noticed, taking the moment to cough a little before she began.

Flowey listened as she read, hating how scratchy her voice was, but she'd also brought a thermos of tea, which helped ease her throat. He allowed her words to wash over him and drag him into the story, snapping out of it when she coughed a little before going on. When she was done the first three chapters, she closed the book, and Flowey stretched back up to full height.

"Like it?" she wondered, and he nodded. "Good. There are five in the series. Should keep us busy for a while." She leaned back on her hands and smiled faintly. "Ready for gossip?" He repeated the gesture, and she told him all the goings-on that had happened since last week. When she finished, her eyes were drooping, and he squeezed his vine around her arm tight, worried again.

"Get lost, Frisky," he said, and she looked at him tiredly. "You've done your duty for the week. Go get some sleep. Otherwise you'll die, and then what'll I do?"

She smiled faintly, patted his head - he scowled - and shook her arm free at last. With her regular farewell, she walked back, hunched over and slow.

Once she was gone, Flowey curled up and shut his eyes, wishing he could have been himself, wishing he could have comforted her and soothed her, instead of being who he had to be. He hoped that she'd be okay, that she'd get better. She had to get better. The alternate was too familiar and terrifying to consider.

He spent the whole week worrying about her, fretting that because of his demands she'd been set back and got sicker, somehow, or that the trip Underground had made her worse. By the time Friday rolled around again, he was scared, afraid that she wouldn't show up at all.

So when she did, far more cheerful and energetic than before, he stared for a long time before attacking her, trying to regain control over his relief. He wanted to cry, he was so happy that she was better, and had to calm himself for several moments before progressing as normal.

When the attack was over, he popped up and stared at her, and she smiled back. "You don't look like shit this week!" he blurted out, and she laughed.

"I got better," she agreed. "Sorry."

In reply, he twisted around her arm again, and she again let him. "Well, that's good," he replied carefully. "Dying would break the deal, after all."

Frisk nodded, patting his head. "Don't worry. I'm not going to die anytime soon."

Flowey was silent, which she took to mean he wanted her to read, so she began. But in reality, he was desperately trying to hide his feelings again: how the last thing he wanted was her dead, despite his past actions. He knew if he said that, he'd risk losing his cover. So instead, he merely listened to her read, and her words calmed him down - finally.


	25. Parade (Make Up Your Mind)

**SPOILERS FOR _MAKE UP YOUR MIND_**

"This is a stupid idea. I hate it, want it to die, and never want to speak of it again."

Asriel stared at his wife in surprise; that was usually what _he_ would say, though her lack of foul language made it uniquely hers.

"Mami, please?" Nicky begged, tugging on her arm. "It's just one float, just one! Think of how great it'll be for all of us!"

"You diplomat," Frisk answered flatly. It was true; at sixteen, Nicky certainly knew how to be diplomatic, even this young, and in a way many could not say no to.

"Nicky," Asriel broke in, "I hate to say it, but your mom's right. The Christmas Parade? The big one, in the city? Are you crazy?"

Nicky grabbed his hand with her other and shook both of their hands at once. "Please, please, please?" she begged. "Ehmma and Ehmpa said yes!"

Asriel groaned, and Frisk slapped a hand to her forehead. Nicky beamed, knowing from that, alone, that her parents were trapped. Yet she added, just to be sure, "And so are Uncle Papyrus and Uncle sans!"

"You're joking," Asriel said. "The bastard said yes?"

Nicky nodded happily. "Papyrus is making him!"

Asriel snorted out a laugh at that, which made Frisk smile. "Who else did you drag into this?" Frisk wondered.

Nicky frowned a little. "I tried to get Auntie Undyne and Auntie Alphys to, but Undyne rolled her eye at me and Alphys laughed nervously and looked away. And then Basket laughed at me and asked what I expected. I wasn't expecting either of those reactions!"

"That's... weird," Asriel admitted, and Frisk nodded in agreement. "I would have thought at least Undyne would want to do it - especially if Papyrus is."

"I mentioned that," Nicky agreed, "but she huffed at me and said something about time better used, and then Auntie Alphys had to help Bass because she started laughing so hard she choked on her food." She made a face. "I think they're planning something. Basket especially seems to know something."

"Hm..." Frisk was thoughtful, and Asriel stared at her. "You really want to do this?" he asked her.

"Please, Mami? Please, Papi?" Nicky still held their hands, and she danced from foot to foot, her eyes shining. "It's just a float, and they'll have hot chocolate!"

Asriel blinked a little at that. Like Asgore, he quite enjoyed hot chocolate - even if he occasionally suffered the same fate and got marshmallows stuck in his fur. (Frisk also secretly loved hot chocolate specifically for that reason, as she loved to help remove them from his fur.)

"Well..." Frisk said, and Asriel sighed, especially when Frisk smiled. "Alright, Nicky. If it means that much to you."

Nicky clapped and hugged them both tight, squealing with joy. Asriel grumbled a bit, and Frisk sighed, but both were smiling and hugged her in return.

"But just this once!" Frisk added sharply, and Asriel was nodding. Nicky made a disappointed face, but agreed.

To be fair, once they got there, the parade was actually rather an enjoyable event. They were all treated like celebrities, fawned over and catered to, and the float itself was rather small despite the fuss. Asgore and Toriel were especially delighted, as they loved the attention and loved the attention their children and grandchild also received, which in turn was rather contagious. Papyrus was an absolute riot, hamming it up for every camera he saw, and sans delighted in teasing him for this. Even Asriel and Frisk enjoyed themselves, especially when Nicky was over the moon with her own excitement. They had even forgotten the fact that three of them did not join in, until they spotted two of them in the crowd.

Alphys and Basket stood side-by-side, both holding up cameras and grinning. Undyne, however, was nowhere to be seen, which was a little worrying, but the sight of her wife and daughter was distracting enough.

"Oh!" Nicky said in surprise when she saw them. "They wanted to film it!"

"How lovely of them!" Toriel said happily.

Asgore, however, was frowning a little. "Where's Undyne?"

They didn't find out until the parade was long over and they were all together sharing pizza and hot chocolate. Undyne suddenly appeared, looking a little cold but grinning from ear-to-ear. Both Alphys and Basket grinned back at her, but everyone else was bemused - save Asgore.

He was frowning at her. "Undyne," he said. "You're not Paladin anymore."

Her face turned sour. "Way to spoil it, Dad," she answered sharply.

Toriel put a hand to her mouth, and everyone else stared at her. She rolled her eye and sighed. "Well, someone had to make sure you idiots were safe!"

"Undyne, you did that for us?" Frisk wondered. "Why?"

Undyne blushed and crossed her arms, looking away and saying nothing. Alphys smiled and touched her arm, but she still refused to answer.

Basket said, "She said she wanted you to have fun, and didn't want any assholes to spoil it."

Basket was immediately placed in a - gentle - headlock by Undyne for this. "First of all, watch your mouth!" Her mom snarled. "Second of all, shut your mouth!"

Alphys extracted Basket from her wife easily and smiled. 

Frisk hugged Undyne, then, and she turned scarlet. Then, Asriel joined in, followed by Asgore, then Papyrus, then Toriel and Nicky. sans was the only one who did not, instead staying at the side and trying not to laugh.

"UNDYNE, YOU NEEDN'T HAVE!" Papyrus declared. "I, THE GREAT CAPTAIN PAPYRUS, WOULD HAVE PROTECTED EVERYONE!"

"Whatever! Get off of me, you weirdos!" was her snarled reply, though she was scarlet and trying not to smile. 

"Also," Basket added with a mischievous grin. "Mum and I were filming it in case something needed to be on record."

"You went through all of this commotion and sneaking around just to protect us?" Frisk asked, especially when Alphys blushed and shot Basket a sharp look. 

"Yes! Now get off of me or you'll be forced to!" Undyne growled. Since everyone knew she could, they did, and she crossed her arms and looked away again.

All in all, it was definitely worth it, though Undyne did later admit that nothing happened on her watch. And when Nicky brought it up again the following year, there was barely a fuss before they agreed to it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prompt gave me trouble and thus is kind of not my best. I may go back and edit or rewrite it later. Grrr. Oh well.


	26. Touch (Too Heavy A Burden)

**SPOILERS FOR _TOO HEAVY A BURDEN_**

Sometimes, all it took was a gentle touch for Asriel to suddenly desire Frisk. Be it a casual touch to his hand with a gentle smile, or a brushing of his hair from his eyes with a smirk, or even an arm around his waist in a half-hug; for Asriel, these were the things he had always craved from her, for so long. Now that he finally could have them, he never wanted them to stop.

It used to surprise Frisk at first, especially once they were living together. She loved to touch Asriel, and had always loved doing so, even when he was Flowey and seemed to loathe it. Once he was himself again and could actually react the way he truly felt, Frisk found unmatched delight whenever she was able to simply brush a hand over his, so she did it often. She had little inkling at first just how deeply each caress meant to Asriel until one morning, when it escalated quite a bit. Then, it was as clear as polished crystal for her.

It was a Saturday, and Frisk had woken up to the smell of fried eggs and rice. She grinned and got up, going right to the kitchen, where Asriel was cooking her favourite breakfast. She, like Asriel, usually only wore pyjama bottoms to bed, so when their eyes met, he blushed a little with his smile, and she smiled back.

"Howdy," he said cheerfully. "It's almost ready. You've good timing!"

Silently, she slid her arms around his waist from behind and hugged him gently, resting her forehead on his back and sighing, still smiling. He froze, his heart speeding up the moment she touched him, and he blushed deeper, glad she couldn't see it. He could feel her bare breasts against his back, and he shut his eyes, the feeling like the stuff of dreams. Her hands were on his chest, rubbing gently, and he couldn't help his body's reaction to all of those sensations at once.

Frisk, oblivious, kissed his back lightly and murmured, "Thank you, love. It smells wonderful."

Asriel took in a sharp breath, trying to steady himself, but only managed a shaky one. Frisk heard it and raised her head, the sound worrying her a little. Her hands pressed closer, and she moved closer, too. "Are you alright?" she asked softly, one hand reaching up and brushing against his cheek lightly.

With jerky movements, Asriel turned the stovetop off, set the spatula aside, and turned to her. Frisk looked at him with concern, until her eyes met his. Her mouth opened a little in surprise, recognising that look, but by then he couldn't help himself, and had her face in his hands, already kissing those lips deeply.

Frisk grabbed onto him, her surprise quickly flashing to desire the moment his hands touched her face, and she slid her arms around him again, her fingers digging into his back. He licked her lips apart and their tongues met, both hot and eager. Asriel groaned softly, reaching down and grabbing the back of her knees, pulling her legs up and around his waist. She clung to him, feeling already how hard he was, even through their clothes, and she shifted against him, bringing another sound from him.

"Frisk," he murmured between kisses. "Please. _Please._ I want you so much..."

She dug her nails into his back then, whispering, "Yes, Asriel, please, _yes_...!" And she kissed him again. He reached down and tugged on her pyjamas, and she jumped down and wriggled out of them. He reached down and between her legs, finding her already so wet, and it sent a sharp stab of desire through him. She closed her eyes and stumbled a bit backwards, and he followed, stepping out of his pyjamas and kicking them to the floor with hers as his fingers reached deep. Her hand shot out and grabbed him, her fingers moving along his hardened length, and this time he was the one stumbling. She backed up against the wall behind her, and he stayed close, not wanting to even be a second without her close to him.

Frisk wrapped her legs around his waist again, moving her hand away, and he pushed close, leaning down to lick one of her breasts, which brought a sigh from her. She shifted so that she could feel the tip of him just a little between her folds, and he shut his eyes tight, moving his hand away from her and reaching down to grasp himself this time. She angled to make it easier, and he pushed himself into her, slowly at first, and this time they both sighed. He kissed her again, and she clung to him, especially when he pushed her up against the wall and thrust fully into her, watching her close her eyes and tilt her head back, her face pink.

 _"Asriel,"_ Frisk whispered, her hands going up into his hair, and he grabbed hold of her legs and began to move. She met each thrust, and he could feel her muscles grip around him each time; she was so warm and slick that it was putting him into a haze, and he shut his eyes, pressing close against her and increasing the pace, something she matched with a sharp cry of his name again, her fingers tangling into his hair. 

He moved fast and hard, and Frisk clung to him as she was pinned against that wall, each sound she made like a melody to him. She held onto him so tight - everywhere - that he couldn't even keep his eyes open if he tried, and he buried his face into her neck, gritting his teeth. 

_"More,"_ she gasped out suddenly, surprising him. He looked up at her and saw that she, too, was lost to it, her eyes shut and her head tilted back against the wall, biting down on her lip as if trying to keep quiet. He didn't want her to be quiet; he wanted her to be loud, to lose control, to feel as amazing as he did, and he pushed closer and increased the pace. She moaned, then, her nails digging into his scalp a bit, her legs viselike around his waist, and then she said the words he loved to hear: "Asriel, please... I'm so close...!"

Asriel raised his head and kissed her deeply, and she moaned again against his lips, her hands moving down and scrabbling at his back as he pinned her hard and thrust deep. Her legs shook, and she cried out, softly at first, then louder, unrestrained, and he closed his eyes again, the sounds so sweet to him, exactly what he wanted to hear. She pleaded out his name, and he felt her flash hot and clench around him so hard, he almost lost it, himself. She groaned out, still riding that wave of pleasure as it coursed through her, and he didn't let up, wanting to draw it out and make it last.

With that, he seemed to underestimate his own endurance, for the feel of her coming was like a signal to his body to do the same. He cried out, stumbling a bit but holding onto her tight, and her eyes flared open as he did. He could feel her squeeze around him and heard her choke out his name again in a breathless gasp, and it was too much for him. He held her close and came, groaning out her name between his teeth, his fingers digging into the back of her knees and his body going hot. She closed her eyes and leaned back, feeling him come and relishing in the heat and wet of it, and even as he buried his face into her shoulder, she licked her lips and breathed out his name, holding him to her. 

They remained still for a moment, both trembling and breathing hard. Asriel clung to Frisk, who rested against him, her own hold on him just as tight. Both could feel how fast their hearts beat, and both shivered a little as the air touched their sweaty skin and cooled them off. But neither Asriel nor Frisk wanted to let go, yet, so they remained.

"Asriel," Frisk whispered hoarsely, stroking his ears lightly and making him sigh. He looked up and saw that her eyes were open, and she smiled slowly, that smile sending another unexpected jab into him. It was _that_ kind of smile, and he already felt his heart - and body - respond to it. "I think... I think I need a shower now..." she said. "And I think... I need your help."

Asriel stared at her, then pulled her away from the wall, kissing her again, sparing a moment to be glad that he thought to turn the stovetop off when he had. Breakfast ended up being lunch after that, but neither minded. 

Both, it could be agreed upon, were addicted to each other's touch.


	27. Free (Delilah)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make chapter navigation easier, I've included the title of each fic within the chapter title in brackets beside the prompt. This is also to help prevent any spoilers, or if you just want to skip the fics that are a part of Abovetale or a specific story of Abovetale. The ones left blank are ones that can be read without any knowledge of Abovetale. I hope this makes things easier!

**SPOILERS FOR _DELILAH_**

While Frisk was still in the hospital, the very moment he could, on the first full day that she was there, Asriel went to visit her at the earliest time that he could - so early that Frisk was still having breakfast when he came in.

He walked in shyly, holding a bunch of flowers he had grabbed from the garden before he left, and the moment her eyes fell on him, Frisk lit right up, practically beaming at him. He hesitated, the look causing his heart to race and a smile to suddenly spread upon his face, so wide it almost hurt.

"Asriel!" she cried, pushing aside the food tray and holding her arms out to him. Asriel set the flowers down and hugged her immediately, as close as possible without hurting her. She hugged him as hard as she could, closing her eyes. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"You... you are?" he murmured, his own eyes closed.

"Yes," she agreed. "Until I saw you, for a while, I was afraid... that it wasn't real, it was some kind of dream, and that you were still... trapped."

He buried his face into her shoulder, feeling so much love for her at that moment that it hurt. "I'm free because of you." he murmured. "You... you gave up... _everything_... and I'm free." He paused, remembering what Alphys had said, and he added, "Free and fine."

Frisk sniffled, surprising him, and she whispered, her voice choked up, "Asriel, I'm so happy."

 _"You're_ happy?" he shot back, grinning and pulling away to look at her, his hands now on her shoulders, and she smiled back tearfully. "You've done something even Dr Alphys said was impossible." On impulse, he reached up and brushed the tears away gently, and she closed her eyes briefly. "You've made me happier than I've ever been, even when I was a kid!"

Frisk stared into his eyes, her own still full. "Stay with me for a while?" she asked. "Talk with me? It's so lonely here, and you're my first visitor."

With a nod, he said, "I'd love to," and down in a chair next to her bed, and she pulled the food tray back to her. She beamed up at him again, and his heart ached.

They chatted the morning away, so absorbed in what they were talking about - politics and novels - that they were only interrupted by the arrival of their parents - who looked surprised to see Asriel there, but also happy. 

It was the first day of something truly wonderful.


	28. Enjoy

Despite all of the grief, all of the frustration, and all of the pain that each Friday brought her, Frisk still found many things to enjoy. Flowey could be the textbook definition of a piece of work, but there were moments that he almost seem to forget to be that way and seemed almost decent.

"Damn," he murmured. Frisk had just finished reading one of her favourite books - _Sabriel_ \- and he was staring at her with huge eyes. "Just... _damn."_

Frisk beamed. "You liked it, despite the happy ending?"

"Uh--," Flowey muttered, looking away for a moment. "Well, it's not like she'll have an easy life, now, but... yeah. That was amazing."

Frisk patted the top of his head, and to her surprise, he didn't scowl. "Guess what?"

He finally scowled and said, "No." 

She laughed in reply. "There's more. This is a series."

Flowey stared at her. "You're lying to me."

She grinned. "Nope. I'm not the lying type, especially with books. There are two sequels, a prequel, and two short stories. Wanna read them?"

He wrapped around her arm tight, glaring at her. "Of course I do, you idiot!" he snapped.

"Did you know, he never intended to write more?" she replied easily. "He intended for _Sabriel_ to be a stand-alone. But then he wrote _Lirael_ , and it just went on. To many peoples' delight - including mine."

"Are Sabriel and Touchstone in them?" Flowey demanded.

She merely smiled, and he glowered. "Tell me, dammit!" She laughed, shaking her head in reply to his demand, and he growled.

"You'll have to wait until next week," Frisk replied, shaking him off of her arm and getting to her feet. With another pat to his head, she said, quite cheerfully, "Goodnight, Asriel!"

"You better come back with the sequel next week!" was his acerbic answer. She laughed, waving back to him without turning around.

She of course did.


	29. Shining (Too Heavy A Burden)

**SPOILERS FOR _TOO HEAVY A BURDEN_**

Whenever Asriel looked into Frisk's eyes, he couldn't believe how they shone - and shone just for him. No matter the context, the moment their eyes met, her eyes always seemed to light right up. Even before they were together, and Frisk was still recovering, Asriel noticed it. He didn't really understand it - or rather, refused to, from fear - but it was always there. 

When they finally were together, and both were able to admit to each other and themselves what it meant, Asriel noticed that light more and more, and realised what an idiot he was for not understanding it sooner. It was clear that the glow within her eyes was meant for him, and only for him, and that it held such a deep, barely-restrained love, again, only meant for him. She looked at no one else in that way, and each time, he couldn't believe how lucky he was. 

One evening, while they were both absorbed in the movie they were watching ( _Spy_ ), holding hands tight and leaning against each other, Asriel spared a thought to the situation he was in, and suddenly could think of nothing else. He was sitting on a couch, with Frisk, as his true self, holding her hand and feeling her lean against him close. He looked at her, holding onto her hand tighter as he did, and she looked up at him, smiling. There it was: that glow in her eyes, and he stared at her, smiling in return.

"Hi," she said softly, pausing the movie. "You okay, sweetie?"

"Yes," he said immediately, and truthfully, his other hand going to her cheek. "Definitely."

She blushed, her smile going wider, and she leaned into his hand. "Good," she murmured, placing her other hand on his knee. She moved to unpause the movie, but he shook his head, stopping her. She blinked up at him, and he pulled her face to his, kissing her. Her eyes softened, gazing into his with that wonderful light, and he pulled her closer, watching them close as she moved to press against him. 

What Asriel never knew was that he had that same light in his eyes, and Frisk saw it every time - and felt that same deep, rich love for him.


	30. Overflow (Hiding)

**SPOILERS FOR _HIDING_**

Asriel wasn't a big drinker. He was also a lightweight to boot. This meant that the night they celebrated not only Carlson finally being convicted and incarcerated, but also the fact that Alphys was finally home from the hospital and recovered enough to visit New Solace, Asriel also discovered he liked very sweet wine, especially when already in an elated mood. 

Frisk watched him with an expression made up of both amusement and concern. At the moment, Asriel was at Alphys's side, chatting at her; she listened politely enough, but she was clearly trying very hard not to laugh.

"Wh-when you got shot," Asriel was saying, his hand on Alphys's, and she nodded. "I-I felt sooo bad." He paused, blinking. "Because... because you didn't deserve that shit. Who the hell would shoot you? Assholes, that's who."

"Can't say I disagree," she replied softly.

"Ex-act-ly!" Asriel nodded, grabbing her hand in both of his, now, and shaking it. "You-you're such a good m-mother, Alphys!" He squeezed her hand, and she smiled. "Sooo good! Basket is sooo awesome because of you!"

Undyne went to Frisk's side, holding the aforementioned Basket in her arms. "Uh," she said slowly. "Is Asriel... alright?"

Frisk smirked. "He's just drunk," she replied. "He doesn't drink very much, if at all, so this is pretty much his first time."

Nicky was staring at her papi from Toriel's lap, and Toriel was pretending she had no idea that her only son was pissed. "Papi is acting really dumb, Ehmma," she said flatly. Toriel patted her head and nodded; it was definitely true.

"PRINCE GARDENER," Papyrus broke in (Alphys looked slightly relieved by the interruption). "ALPHYS IS MUCH STRONGER THAN SHE LOOKS, THOUGH OF COURSE NOT AS STRONG AS I."

"i'll say," sans muttered, touching his jaw. 

Alphys looked both pleased and embarrassed, blushing deeply. Asriel glowered at Papyrus. "I _know_ that!" he said loudly. "I'm the-the only one out of all of you who has actually fought her!"

"Uhm," Undyne said, eyebrows raised. "Not quite, kid-boy."

"Sparring does _not_ count," Asriel snorted. "I fought to _kill her_ , and she barely blinked." He looked rather proud of her for this. 

"Papi," Nicky said, her tone still flat. "You need a nap."

Asriel turned to her, blinking. "Wh-what? Nah, Nicky, I'm fine!"

Asgore snorted, covering his mouth. He was sitting beside Toriel and Nicky, a little tipsy, himself, but nowhere near as far gone as his son. Toriel eyed him with an eyebrow raised, and he blushed a bit.

Undyne went over and sat down on Alphys's other side, and Basket immediately crawled over her and onto Alphys, sitting down on her lap and looking up at her mum curiously. Alphys smiled at her, and Basket grinned back. 

"See?" Asriel cried. "See? She loves you sooo damned much! You're both such awesome mothers." To everyone's shock, he teared up, and added, with a wavering voice, "You're both so-so _awesome_!" Then he burst into tears.

"Oh, dear." Frisk walked over and squished in beside him, pulling him into her arms, and he curled up and sobbed into her shoulder. She stroked his ears gently, and he choked out, "You're an awesome mom, too, Frisk!" She kissed his head and nodded. "Nicky is awesome!" he added.

"Thank you, Papi," Nicky broke in at that. "But please have a nap. You're hyper, and naps help me when I'm too hyper."

This brought laughs from everyone but Asriel, who merely clung to Frisk. "Sweetie," she said to him. "I think our daughter is right. You're sloshed."

"I am?" He raised his head, his wet eyes wide and a little glazed. "Am I drunk?" When she nodded, he blushed deeply. "Shit!" He lowered his voice to a loud whisper. "Do Mom and Dad know?!"

"Okay." At this, Frisk stood up and brought him to his feet, then put her arm around him. "I'll be back," she told everyone else, as Asriel leaned on her and tried to hide his face into her shoulder, as if that would make the rest of him disappear. 

She slowly led him to their bedroom, and the whole time he sobbed that Nicky was awesome and he was amazed that she was even related to him, let alone his daughter. Frisk lay him down on their bed and buried him in the blankets, before lying down beside him and hugging him tight. He curled up into her arms, still crying, and she stroked his ears until he fell asleep. She made sure to place a huge glass of water on the nightstand beside him before she left him to sleep it off.

Frisk then joined them back in the living room, and was greeted by varying smiles of amusement.

"What a geek," Undyne said first with a snort.

Alphys looked up with a smirk at her, and Undyne blushed suddenly, looking away. "Uh," she added, "but that was strong wine, so uh, yeah." Alphys giggled, and Undyne blushed deeper. Clearly, Undyne had suffered a similar experience.

"Is Papi okay?" Nicky wondered.

Frisk grinned. "He'll be fine, honey," she agreed. "He's just got a bit overexcited, like you said."

Asgore, who was grinning, said, "It's unfortunately hereditary." Toriel nodded sagely, and Nicky frowned at both of them, confused, not understanding them. "But only if you--,"

"--drink too much like an idiot," sans concluded easily. "and the weed can definitely be an idiot."

"He's just happy," Frisk explained, sitting beside Alphys this time. "We've had a really hard few years,"

Sombre silence met her words, all quietly thinking about this. That is, until the sound of Asriel snoring loudly broke it. Then, Nicky started giggling, and that broke the tension - and made the rest of the evening happier.

(Asriel woke up the next morning hung over but oddly cheerful about it, which made Frisk laugh so hard she fell out of their bed.)


	31. Mistakes

Not every Friday went smoothly. There were many times in which both Frisk and Flowey clashed, and a result, those Fridays were fraught with mistakes that they always regretted later - but still ended up making, anyway. One instance in particular was trying for both.

"'If you had to imagine a head witch, you wouldn't imagine--,'"

"Put some damned effort into it, Frisk, will you?!"

Frisk raised her eyes from the book and glowered. "I'm a bit sore today," she growled, hunched over a little. "I'll spare you the details, but forgive me if it hinders my reading. Now shut up, or else it ends there."

Flowey shut up, both from confusion - what would make her sore? - and curiosity - who would you imagine as a head witch? - and he curled back into his spiral.

"'--you wouldn't imagine Mistress Weatherwax. You might imagine Mrs Earwig--,'"

Flowey snorted, and Frisk lowered the book in anger and closed it. "What?!" he cried in protest. "Come on! You and I both know that Earwig is bullshit!" She started to get to her feet, and he quickly lashed out with a vine, wrapping it around the arm that held the book. "You can't leave it there!" he concluded angrily.

"Oh, shut up, then!" Frisk exploded. "Just shut up for once, will you, Flowey?!"

He froze, shocked; she'd never yelled at him like that, before. She was frozen, too, seeming just as shocked, her face red, but she didn't take it back. She wanted to, but her pride was too great, and she was too stubborn.

Flowey silently let her go, and she got to her feet and stormed away, barely adding her usual farewell and not looking back once.

The following week, she came back, looking embarrassed. He attacked her, having had the whole week to stew over their spat. When it ended, and he popped up in front of her in silence, she said, "I'm sorry."

He blinked, surprised - then tried to immediately mask that surprise. "I-I don't care!" he blurted out, lying so poorly that he figured she'd be able to tell. "You can't tell me what to do, deal or not! I can talk all I want, and to hell with you for trying otherwise!"

Frisk listened to him in silence, her face red. When he was done, she nodded, her eyes like steel, and she opened the book and picked up right where they had left off. This time, he was truly quiet, speaking only when she was done, but neither forgot. This became clear a few weeks later, when again, they both lost their tempers.

"I call bullshit," Flowey suddenly interrupted. Frisk sighed and lowered the book, glaring at him. "There's no way any of the others would just sit idly by while Tiffany has to deal with it all alone."

"Flowey, don't even start," she answered sharply, but he already had.

"Why give her a hat at all? They don't see her as their equal! Especially with all of those insults about her being born on the Chalk!"

"You idiot, she _earned_ that hat!" Frisk snapped. "She clearly earned their trust to watch over the Chalk, which is why they don't help her!"

 _"You're_ the idiot if that's how you think!"

Frisk almost hit him with the book, and he noticed and flinched back a little. "Why are you being such a jerk about this series?" she demanded.

Flowey hesitated. Why _was_ he being so obstreperous with it? He blinked, the answer coming to him almost immediately: the protagonist reminded him of Frisk, and it seemed almost personal when she faced danger. He was incredibly invested in the story, and he couldn't even admit it to her. Not and keep the veil over her eyes. 

"Because... you read it completely wrong!" he lied. "You're so apathetic to the story!"

"I am not!" she protested hotly. "I give everyone voices, even the Feegles! Are you actually being serious right now?!"

"Yes!" he lied again.

She got to her feet and dropped the book down in front of him. "Then read it yourself!" she shouted. She turned and stormed away, muttering her usual farewell so bitterly it sounded like it hurt.

Flowey stared at the discarded book, his vision blurry. He knew he probably could find some way to read it on his own, and in his anger and hurt he began to try, but the guilt he felt stopped him. Instead, he hunched over it, feeling physically beaten by his regret.

Frisk was furious, and locked herself in her room for the rest of that night, refusing to explain to her parents why. How could she? She'd been lying to them for years, now. She couldn't just declare her secret just for the sake of venting.

So she asked herself the same question she'd asked Flowey, and got a very frustrating answer: she wanted him to love the story, the books, and to enjoy something for a change. She felt as if his nitpicking was purely from finding problems with the story, and it angered her, because she wanted it to love it like she did. She wanted him to love _something_.

Frisk went back the following week fully expecting Flowey to have smugly finished the book on his own and demand the next one for himself. Therefore, she was surprised when, following his 'greeting', he popped right up over the book that was still right where she'd left it. 

"Look," he said as his hello. "I want you to keep reading it. I'll shut up, but only because it's part of the deal. I know you'd probably kick my ass if I broke this deal, so I'll shut up, you read, and let's move on, okay?" 

Frisk stared at him, shocked into silence. She wondered if she was hearing him correctly. She wondered if she was losing her mind somehow. 

Then, he added, "You idiot."

That, oddly, made her feel much, much better, and she picked the book up off the ground - it was oddly clean for a week's worth of neglect - and began to read.


	32. Heartfelt (The Queen of Peace)

**SPOILERS FOR _THE QUEEN OF PEACE_**

Asgore caught Asriel as soon as he saw his son's eyes roll up. He felt similarly, really, and wished he'd had the luxury to faint.

"Oh, dear," Toriel said softly, going to her husband's side and tapping her son's cheek gently, trying to wake him.

Dr Thicke smiled a little. "Poor guy. Come with me to the waiting room; I'll explain everything I know so far."

They did, Asgore holding Asriel up as he groggily and slowly came to enough to shuffle along. As soon as they made it there, Asriel was shoved into the closest chair and sandwiched by his parents. Asgore kept his hand on Asriel's shoulder.

Toriel rubbed his cheeks to hasten his awakening. Her eyes, however, were on Dr Thicke. "You're certain that Frisk is pregnant?" she asked.

The doctor nodded. "I even had Dr Alphys check her charts when she could. There's no question that she is."

Asriel's eyes opened slowly, hearing them speak from a haze. Toriel looked into his eyes, and he stared back, focussing on his mother in order to wake up more. "Mom?" he murmured. Then he jolted and sat up as though shocked. "Mom!" He grabbed her shoulders. "Frisk is... is she really...?"

"Asriel," Toriel answered, her tone stern all of a sudden. "This is going to be a very personal question, but I need to know. Did you use reproductive magic with Frisk?"

He went scarlet, his eyes wide and his face looking a little guilty. "Y-yeah," he admitted meekly. "I didn't think it would... I just wanted her to... I really didn't think it would work, Mom!"

Asgore had his hand on his forehead, his eyes shut. "Oh, Asriel," he sighed. "Of course it worked."

Dr Thicke chose this time to break in gently. "It definitely worked. It's amazing - and lucky - that your daughter wasn't hurt in the fray."

Asriel jolted again, staring at the doctor, now. "Daughter?" he echoed. Toriel took his hand, and he squeezed it, hard. "O-our baby... is a daughter?"

The doctor nodded kindly. "Monster magic really is a remarkable thing," she admitted with a smile.

"You were careless, Asriel," Toriel said suddenly, and he flinched. "I did tell you once that it was possible to conceive with combined magic and sex."

"But she's human!" Asriel protested. Then he looked scared. "Oh, no. She's human." His eyes went bright with panic. "Is this going to hurt her?"

"Honestly, I don't know," admitted Dr Thicke. "No one has ever seen this before. I had thought the charts were wrong when they said she was pregnant. But an ultrasound as well as magic confirmed it. You're going to be a father, Mr Asriel."

Asriel stared at her, trembling. Then, he started laughing, so hard he hunched over, his laughter mixed with tears. "Frisk," he murmured, his head in his hands. "Oh, Frisk, holy shit." Then he broke down, his joy and sorrow mixing into a potent dose of tears.

Asgore hugged him gently, his own eyes full, now, and Toriel smiled warmly at them both.

Dr Thicke also smiled. "I'm glad this is good news."

"Is the baby alright? For sure?" Toriel asked gently.

"She is," agreed the doctor. "The bullet went nowhere near her, and though she'll be exposed to pain medicine for a little bit through Frisk, the doses will be low enough to not cause her trouble as Frisk recovers. She'll be just fine."

"Oh shit," Asriel murmured. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit..." He laughed again, the sound so happy it made everyone around him smile. His heart was soaring, so light that it made him feel giddy. He still trembled, but with excitement, now. He wasn't afraid, but elated.

"We'll be monitoring her the entire time," Dr Thicke continued, as though he hadn't said anything. "Since we've never seen anything like this before, we need to make sure she'll be safe - as well as your baby. This baby is a hybrid, no question, and there could be problems. But we'll tackle them the moment they arrive. No matter what."

Asgore gave his son a gentle kiss on top of his head, and Toriel touched his cheek gently. Asriel was crying again, but he was grinning. "A baby," he murmured, a hand over his heart. "Our daughter. Frisk and I..."

"You were still careless," Toriel answered sternly. "This could have been a tragedy. You are very, very lucky."

Asriel nodded. "I know," he agreed. "Depending on how this goes, we probably won't do it again." He blushed, scratching at his cheek. "But if we can, I... wouldn't mind more than one."

Asgore and Toriel exchanged shocked glances. That was the last thing they thought they'd hear him say.

"Let's start with this one," Dr Thicke said kindly. "Would you like to see her?"

Asriel was on his feet at once, and they laughed. "I'm gonna get her flowers," he announced, before he rushed off, his joy making him faster than they'd ever seen him be.

He grabbed the gaudiest bouquet he could find at the pharmacy, and when he paid for it, he said, "I'm going to be a father!" with such joy that even the usually sullen clerk smiled at him.

When he returned, his parents stared at his choice of flowers and laughed. Dr Thicke had left, but that was okay. He said, "Can I... tell her? Please?"

Asgore sniffled a little, and Toriel nodded. "Yes, my boy, of course." She told him the room number, and he ran off again, still grinning.

* * *

 After months and months of fear and close calls, Nickname Dreemurr was born, on the same day that Frisk's Ten Year Treaty was passed into law. He was brought into the room to see Frisk and meet their new daughter, and they sat and chatted for a bit, before falling into a small silence, both staring at Nickname in shared awe and love.

"I love her already," Asriel admitted, holding Nicky in his arms. He stood up and started pacing slowly, as Frisk watched him sleepily with a smile. "I love her so much, Frisk."

"She loves you, my love," she replied.

"She looks so much like us!" he said, grinning and gazing into Nicky's crimson eyes, twin mirrors of his own. "People hear 'hybrid' and think of some kind of mess, but Nicky is beautiful!"

Frisk smiled wider, a hand rubbing her chest absently. She watched them both, her heart so full.

"Frisk, I'll never let anyone hurt her," Asriel said, sounding stern. "Never. I'll kill anyone who tries."

"Mm," she agreed. "I'll help you."

There was a gentle knock, and they both looked over and saw their parents waiting, grinning. Behind them, lined up, were Alphys, Undyne, and Mettaton, and then sans and Papyrus, all grinning and eagerly trying to catch a glance.

"The doctor said we can come in only two at a time," Toriel explained, as she and Asgore walked in holding hands; Asgore was already in tears. "Do you mind a few waves of guests?"

"Not at all," Frisk replied softly, reaching out to hug Toriel, then Asgore. "Meet your granddaughter."

They moved over to Asriel and flanked him, and Asriel beamed at them, holding Nicky in a way so that they could see her face clearly. Toriel stared at Nicky, her eyes filling with tears, memories of baby Asriel flooding through her. She had never, ever dreamt that she would see this day, and couldn't stop weeping at the sight.

Asgore had his hand on Asriel's shoulder, his eyes on his granddaughter's, unable to look away. She stared back, curious, and he suddenly covered his mouth to muffle a sob. He, too, had never expected this.

"Asriel, quit hogging her and let them hold her," Frisk teased him, and he blushed and nodded, holding Nickname out to Toriel. She took hold of Nicky with practised ease, her tears falling free and her smile so wide it hurt her cheeks. She leaned down and took in Nicky's scent, closing her eyes; she smelt like her parents, but also of something uniquely herself. Toriel held her close, closing her eyes and rocking her gently.

Asgore moved to her side, reaching out and gently brushing a finger over Nicky's downy cheek, and Nicky's brow furrowed a little before easing.

Asriel stared at his parents, his heart aching. They both looked so happy, so truly happy. Even though they'd never expected it, it was no less wonderful to be able to hold their grandchild.

"She's beautiful," Asgore whispered, his voice choked.

"She looks smart," Toriel added, kissing the baby's forehead gently.

 _"Hurry up!"_ Undyne suddenly snarled from the doorway.

There was a soft laugh at that, and Toriel handed Nicky back to Asriel, kissing him, then Nicky, then Frisk. Asgore covered his eyes, his shoulders shaking, that alone speaking louder than any words ever could, and gently Toriel led him out.

Undyne and Alphys practically ran in the moment they could, Mettaton sneaking in behind them. All three froze when they saw Nicky, and Mettaton covered his mouth, his eyes wide.

Then, Alphys moved over and hugged Frisk gently. "I-I'm so glad you're safe, Frisk," she murmured. Frisk hugged her back tight.

Undyne stood in front of Asriel, her fingers wiggling and her face eager. "Please let me hold her, please? _Please_ , Asriel?"

Surprised, Asriel carefully handed Nicky into Undyne's arms, and Undyne held her so carefully he was further surprised. Her eye - her whole face - softened, and she bit her lip hard, her eye wavering.

Alphys was frozen, staring at her wife, a shocked expression on her face, suddenly overcome with a thought that nearly made her faint, but that she didn't voice. She wouldn't be able to voice it for years.

"Holy shit," Undyne whispered, her voice wavering. "You guys made a _kid_. And she's absolutely gorgeous."

Mettaton peered close. "She's definitely a monster," he said with a grin. "But there's human, there, too. She's really a beauty."

Alphys came over and put her arm around her wife, and Undyne leaned on her, still staring at Nicky. "Hello," whispered Undyne, when Nicky's eyes met hers. "I'm your Auntie Undyne. This is my wife, your Auntie Alphys. And this is Auntie Mettaton."

 _"Hey!"_ Mettaton protested.

"Your _Diva_ Mettaton," Undyne corrected with a smirk, and he was mollified.

"time's up. get out."

Undyne hesitated, then handed Nicky back to Asriel gently. Asriel shot a look to Alphys, who was blushing, her eyes bright. He raised his eyebrows at her, and she touched her cheek and looked away shyly. She kept her arm around Undyne, and the three left, now replaced by sans and Papyrus.

"WOWIE!" Papyrus said, leaning over and looking at Nicky, who again had her brow furrowed upon seeing him. "SHE'S SO LITTLE!"

sans peered up and nodded. "yup, bro. she sure is." He went over to Frisk and hugged her tight, and Frisk smiled and hugged back. "you did good, kiddo. she's a pretty little goat."

"Thank you, sans," Frisk said.

"I DO NOT THINK I SHOULD HOLD HER, AS I DO NOT WANT TO HURT HER," Papyrus said. "I ALWAYS UNDERESTIMATE MY OWN GREAT STRENGTH, AFTER ALL."

Asriel rolled his eyes, but then sans said, "then can i hold her, weed?" Surprised yet again, he nodded, and sans took hold of her gently.

"you little bleater," he said affectionately to Nicky, his voice so soft and kind that it was almost shocking. Nicky stared at him, her brow still furrowed, until he spoke, and it eased. "i'm gonna spoil you so rotten that your parents will hate me."

Frisk laughed, but Asriel scowled. "She's barely a few hours old and you already want to corrupt her!"

"yep," he agreed. He gently handed Nicky back to Asriel.

Papyrus touched her forehead with his gloved hand. "TINY!" he concluded.

"come on, bro," sans said, his eyes on Frisk, who had her hand on her chest and was looking exhausted. "time to go."

"WE WILL RETURN TOMORROW!" Papyrus promised.

When they were alone again, Asriel sat down beside Frisk on her bed and handed Nicky to her. Frisk took hold of her and held her close, her eyes closed and her smile wide.

Asriel gathered her close, suddenly overcome, and he started to weep quietly. Frisk reached up and touched his cheek, and he leaned close and buried his face into her shoulder. His heart was so full that he felt almost light-headed from it, but he didn't care.

Everything, in that moment, was perfect.


	33. Fading Away (The Queen Of Peace)

**SPOILERS FOR _THE QUEEN OF PEACE_**

One time, a few weeks after Nicky was born, Frisk didn't wake up. She wasn't sleeping; it was more like she'd lost consciousness, instead of just regular slumber.

Asriel didn't know what had woken him up, but something had, and he turned over to her sleepily and touched her shoulder. He figured that maybe she was sleeptalking and that was what had woken him.

The moment he touched her shoulder, he paused, waking up even more. She was burning hot. He sat up quickly and leaned over her, finding her lying heavily on her side, not even stirring when he touched her.

"Frisk?" he murmured, giving her a shake, and again she didn't stir. He felt a sudden, sinking feeling assault him, and now he was wide awake.

"Frisk?" He shook her shoulder again. "Frisk, wake up!"

She didn't respond, and he started to be afraid.

Carefully, he rolled her onto her back, and found that she was bright red, bathed in sweat, her breaths harsh and dry. She was hot all over, and he pulled the blanket down and her shirt up and looked at her chest, then abdomen. From beneath both bandages, the skin was a brighter, angrier red. With shaking hands, he peeled them back, and his stomach clenched: both her chest and her abdominal stitches were swollen and purple around the edges, and oozing. He touched her forehead, and she was burning up.

"No," he whispered. "No, no, no..."

Dr Thicke had warned of the possibility that, even if they were careful, the risk of infection was still very real and very serious.

Frisk had gone to bed fine - if a little quiet - and hadn't said anything at all. He wondered if she had done it intentionally, so as not to worry him.

But in her state, still weak from both the healing gunshot wound and the cesarean section, what could have just been a minor fever had flared into an infection. And by the speed of it, she was in trouble.

"Frisk!" He shook her again, tapping her hot cheek. _"Frisk!_ Wake up! You need to wake up!"

She didn't stir, and he started to weep, terrified. He grabbed his phone and called Toriel, his other hand holding one of Frisk's hot, sweaty ones tight.

"Mommy," he said, as soon as she picked up. "It's Frisk. We need you! Please help!"

She promised that she'd be right there, and he curled up to Frisk, feeling the heat practically pouring from her body, her breaths feeling hot. He stroked her hair from her forehead, the tresses already soaked in sweat, but again, she didn't react.

Soon, the door buzzed, and Asriel let Toriel up. It took a moment, but then she knocked, and Asriel rushed to his feet and let her in. She spared a moment to hug him, then followed him to the bedroom.

The moment Toriel saw her daughter, she stopped in her tracks, her hand going to her chest. She rushed over and touched both sides of Frisk's neck, then her forehead, before examining the angry-looking incisions.

"Asriel," she said calmly, holding one of Frisk's hands between her own. "Call an ambulance."

With his whole body trembling, he did, tearfully explaining the situation and being told they were on their way. Then he sat down on Frisk's other side and resumed holding her hand, looking at his mother for answers.

Toriel had grabbed a facecloth, drenched it in water, and had begun cleaning Frisk's face of sweat. "Asriel," she said softly, "this isn't good." She looked up at him, and he froze. "I won't lie to you. She's... fading."

Asriel gripped onto Frisk's hand tighter, shaking his head. "No, she's not. It's just... it's just a fever, and she'll be fine. She'll... she'll be fine!"

"Maybe," Toriel answered softly, rubbing the facecloth now over Frisk's chest. Her eyes were shining, barely able to stay calm herself. "How quickly did this happen?"

"Overnight."

Toriel shut her eyes briefly, biting down on her lip hard. Then, she looked at her son, right into his eyes, and said tearfully, "My boy, you need... you need to prepare for the worst."

"N-no," he said at once. "No. She's fine. She's fine! Nicky needs her. I need her! She's _fine!"_

The sound of sirens interrupted anything Toriel was about to say. Asriel immediately buzzed them through and leapt to his feet, opening the door to prepare for the paramedics to come in.

They arrived shortly, going to Frisk and taking her vitals, Toriel moving to her son's side and holding him close. They took in her situation with blank expressions, but to Asriel's terror, they pulled out an oxygen mask and immediately put it over her face, then hooked up her arm to an IV drip.

Carefully, they picked her up and moved her to the stretcher they had brought up with them, and they moved quickly, bringing her out of the apartment and to the elevator. Toriel followed them, telling Asriel to stay with Nicky until Asgore came up, handing him the keys to the car so that Asgore could drive him.

And then, suddenly, Asriel was standing alone, trembling in fear.

He rushed back to the bedroom and packed both a bag for Frisk and a bag for Nicky, before going to Nicky's cradle and very gently picking her up into his arms. She was sleeping, and she barely made a noise before she curled against his chest and resumed her slumber.

For a moment, he held her close, resting his face against her soft hair, trying to take comfort in her. Then, he left the apartment and went down to the ground floor to find Asgore.

It didn't take long; the car was parked close by, Asgore leaning against it, and the moment he caught sight of his father, Asgore moved to meet him.

Asgore grabbed him into a gentle hug, touching Nicky's head, then took the keys and led Asriel to the car.

"Dad," Asriel whispered, as Asgore drove in silence. "Mom said... Mom said to... expect the worst. What... why?" He swallowed hard. "Frisk isn't... she isn't... is she, Dad?"

Asgore was still silent, his grip on the wheel tight and his eyes on the road ahead of him.

Then, he said, "Yes. She is, Asriel."

Asriel felt the blood drain from his face, holding Nicky closer to him. "No," he whispered - pleaded, really.

"The infection sounds like it reached her lung, Asriel," Asgore said gently. "If it reaches her heart - and at this rate, it might - she'll... she'll die. We... we need to be prepared..."

"But we've been so careful!" Asriel cried, his voice breaking. "I cleaned those wounds so often they should be perfect! How did this even _happen?!"_

"Sometimes," Asgore murmured, "not even perfection is enough."

Asriel shut his eyes and sobbed.

By the time they'd caught up and found Toriel, Frisk was already being looked to. Toriel stood waiting for them, and hugged them both, before she took Nicky gently into her arms.

It was just as well, as Asriel felt close to fainting at this point, and wasn't sure if he could hold her as securely anymore. He sat down in the closest chair, hunched over, and sobbed. Asgore sat next to him and held him close, as Toriel sat down on his other side, holding Nicky to her chest as she still slept (Nicky was very much like her father, and slept hard once under).

"She can't die," Asriel was sobbing. "She _can't_ die!"

But even he knew she could.

They spent what felt like hours waiting.

Nicky eventually woke up and started crying from hunger, which was a problem, as she was breast-fed. Toriel asked the nurses for a bottle of formula, which they gave, but Nicky absolutely refused it from her, screaming.

Asriel raised his head slowly, then got to his feet and took his daughter from his mother gently, holding her in his arms. She calmed almost immediately, snuggling closer to him, and Toriel gave him the bottle. As Nicky grabbed onto Asriel's ears, he offered her the bottle, and she hesitated, then actually took it, drinking it greedily, her hands now on the bottle.

Asriel held her close, his eyes closing and his heart aching.

The moment she finished it, he burped her, then went to change her. When he came back, his parents were sitting together, holding each other close. Asriel looked away, rocking Nicky gently and beginning to pace, hoping to lull her back to sleep.

Finally, a doctor they didn't know came out to greet them. All three turned to him, all sharing the same fear.

"She's stable," the doctor said. "We lost her twice, but each time she came back. She's one hell of a fighter." He smiled. "I've seen stronger people die from this, but she kept fighting. She's on strong IV antibiotics, but her lung wasn't as infected as we feared, and we flushed it easily enough."

Toriel was holding Asgore up, his relief making him weak, and Asriel held Nicky close, his eyes full. "She's alive?" he whispered. "My Frisk is alive?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes. And she'll be that way for some time, now."

Asriel buried his face into his daughter's hair, sobbing in relief.

"You acted quickly enough," the doctor added. "Any later and she would have died. Infections like this can be silent killers, but you heard it before it could."

"I need to see her," Asriel pleaded. "Please. I need to see her."

"Okay. But just you for now. She needs to sleep."

Asriel and Nicky followed the doctor to Frisk's room, finding her lying down and very pale, still sweating and with an oxygen tube in her nose. A nurse was cleaning her face carefully, as the fever had yet to break but was at least stable.

Asriel moved to sit down beside the bed as the nurse worked, and he nodded to them shakily. Nicky curled up against his chest sleepily, her small hands clutching the front of his shirt tight.

When the nurse was done and had left, Asriel reached out and grabbed Frisk's hot hand in his. She didn't react, and it hurt him. He was so tired of Frisk having to be here, of being hurt and teetering on the edge.

Things were supposed to be better, now, not worse.

He stayed there for quite some time, until Toriel suddenly appeared at his side. "Asriel," she said gently, "let me take Nicky home while you stay here."

He hesitated, looking up at his mother, before he nodded slowly, kissing his daughter, and Toriel took her into her arms.

She leaned down and kissed Asriel's forehead, and added, "Please, call me the moment the fever breaks."

He nodded, his eyes back on Frisk, and she left, she and Asgore going to Solace to take care of Nicky.

Asriel stayed where he was, not leaving Frisk's side once. He even helped keep her face and forehead cool, and sometimes the nurse on duty would bring him coffee or something small to eat. But he didn't sleep once, and he kept his attention on his wife as she slept.

The morning soon broke, but still Frisk was feverish, and Asriel was starting to get scared again. When the doctor came by to check on her, he asked, "Shouldn't it have broken by now?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, but relax. It's a bad infection. Give it more time before you start to panic."

Asriel held Frisk's hand to his cheek, closing his eyes and nodding slowly. The doctor put his hand on his shoulder for a moment, then left.

It was midway through morning when he realised that Frisk's hand wasn't as hot as it had been. He lowered it, reaching up and placing his hand on her forehead, and found it to be warm, not burning.

His heart pounding, he stood up, leaning over her and touching her neck on both sides, and though she was still damp with sweat, she wasn't hot. He sobbed out, once, then leaned down and hugged her, unable to help it, so overwhelmed. He didn't let go for quite some time, until a nurse came in and advised him to so that she could confirm that the fever had indeed broken.

As she did, Asriel called Toriel and told her, and her response was a small, relieved sob. "My boy," she whispered. "Oh, my boy. I'm so glad."

Asriel sat back down once the nurse was gone, and he grabbed Frisk's hand again between his own. Though she looked pale, her breathing was better, and her skin wasn't nearly as hot as it had been. He held her hand to his cheek again and shut his eyes, weeping quietly, so grateful to the doctor and the nurses that Frisk was safe.

She woke up in the late afternoon, slowly, looking bemused and small. Asriel practically leapt onto the bed at her side, and she looked up at him, her eyes dull and tired but not feverish. Her eyes met his, and she smiled, sighing deeply in relief, her eyes closing briefly before opening again. She squeezed his hand weakly, and he started to weep again.

Gently, between shaky breaths, he told her what had happened to her, and she looked very troubled by it, biting her lip. "A-are...?" she whispered, her voice so soft he had to lean close to hear. "N-Nicky... you... are you okay...? It's not... contagious?"

Asriel stared at her, then leaned down and buried his face into her shoulder, bursting into tears, the kind one makes when there is no hope of stifling them. He held her close, and Frisk reached up and rubbed his back, her eyes closed and her hand a little limp.

"S-sweetie," she murmured into his ear, and he held onto her tighter. "D-don't... cry..."

But he did, and couldn't stop, now. So she held him to her, whispering words of comfort, of reassurance and love.

He never wanted to let her go.

Frisk went home a few days later, once they were certain that the infection wouldn't flare back up again. They prescribed her antibiotics and a fast-healing topical cream, as well as strict bedrest for a week. She didn't protest, which proved how poorly she felt.

While his parents helped with Nicky, Asriel took care of Frisk, taking small joy in seeing her improve every day as the infection cleared. Soon, she was well enough to complain that she was bored of being in bed, and from that, they all knew she'd be okay.

Asriel never forgot how close they'd come to losing her in a single moment, with no warning, and by sheer luck just barely managing to save her in time. He vowed to be extra-vigilant until she was fully healed, no matter what.

As a result, there were no other close calls, but that didn't stop him. Even years later, he'd always have those instincts sharp for any sudden change at any time in his wife.

He wouldn't give her up without a fight. Ever.


	34. Spirit (Make Up Your Mind)

**SPOILERS FOR _MAKE UP YOUR MIND_**

When Nicky left for university, Asriel and Frisk felt the loss deeply. Though she hadn't gone too far, she did live on campus, and it _felt_ as if she were far away.

The first night she was gone, she'd texted them with, _"Good night, Mami and Papi. I love you. Sleep well. xxoo"_

And Asriel of course burst into tears, curled up into Frisk's arms, and clung onto her tight. Frisk held him close and comforted him, also in tears, missing their daughter terribly. 

"It's okay, sweetie," Frisk murmured softly, kissing the top of his head. "We'll see her again, soon, and it'll be fine."

"I know," he agreed tearfully, burying his face into her chest, listening to her heartbeat. "I do. I just... miss her."

"I do, too," she agreed. "But remember: she's doing wonderfully, because we managed not to mess her up too hard, despite how many times we could have, and easily, too."

He choked out a laugh, hugging her tighter, and she smiled, happy to hear that sound at last. "She really is pretty awesome, huh?" he added, looking up at her with a small smile. She touched his wet cheek gently, brushing away the tears, and nodded. "For a kid who wasn't even supposed to be able to exist, she grew up amazingly."

"She really did," Frisk agreed. "There's a part of me that wishes we could do it again, you know?"

Asriel nodded, his smile fading a bit. "Me, too. But you know what Athena says: it would have gone badly if you had. You barely made it through Nicky's birth."

"And now I'm too old," she sighed.

Asriel frowned up at her. "You're not that old!" he protested.

"I'm thirty-nine, Asriel," she corrected, raising an eyebrow. 

"So what?" Asriel growled, sitting up. "You're only as old as you feel in your soul, and that doesn't mean your life is over! And besides, uh, we kinda had Nicky young, so, we're in a way lucky." He smiled again. "We'll get to see so much more than other parents do!"

"Asriel, are you seriously promoting having children at a very young age?!" she demanded. 

"Twenty isn't that young!"

"And neither is thirty-nine!" she concluded, her eyes sparking, knowing she'd won that round. 

"Again, you're only as young as you act and feel," Asriel answered, pressing his nose up to hers and grinning. She laughed, rubbing her nose over his, and he hugged her closer. "And I know, with you, my soul feels ageless," he concluded.

"Okay, you win," Frisk said, holding his face between her hands. "But only because you're so adorable."

"Me?" Asriel blinked, blushing. "You're the cute one!"

In response, Frisk's hands slipped up and began to scratch behind his ears. He smiled widely and shut his eyes, resting his forehead on her chest and sighing deeply. He leaned his head to one side, and she moved to focus on it, before he switched, and she laughed. "I win!" she declared. "You're the cutest!"

"Mergh..." was his response, his arms wrapping around her tighter, nuzzling closer. Frisk giggled harder, and he shifted his head again, barely noticing her laughter. All he noticed now was the feel of her fingers and her wonderful scent, and he moved closer. "Frisk..." he added, his voice a little strained.

"Yes, sweetie?" she wondered, her tone still teasing. Slowly, in reply, one of his hands trailed upwards and brushed over one of her breasts. She blinked in surprise, and he raised his head slowly, his eyes half-open but his smile was huge. "Hi..." she added, then closed her eyes when he cupped her breast. Her hands stopped for a moment, and he took that chance to lean close and kiss her.

"Asriel..." she whispered against his lips, her hands curling around his horns for balance, as his other hand went to the small of her back to pull her closer. He kept his eyes open as he licked her lips apart, and her face flushed red as her tongue met his with a small sound from deep in her throat. Her hands moved down and grabbed onto his shoulders, and he brushed his palm over her now-hard nipple through her shirt.

He looped his arm around her waist and took hold of her, then pushed her down on her back onto the couch, pressing against her, and she shifted beneath him, one leg going around his waist. Asriel's eyes closed as she shifted in a way that rubbed against him in just the right way, and she smiled against his lips, her hands tangling into his hair now. 

Asriel reached beneath her shirt and felt a flash of heat when his hand met bare skin - she wasn't wearing a bra - and his hand immediately moved to her breast, shifting closer to her and pressing against her. Frisk broke the kiss to slip her lips down to his neck, running her tongue along the curve of his soft, downy skin, and he shivered. "Frisk, I..." He trailed off, his words ending in a groan, as her other leg moved between his legs and she rubbed her thigh against his erection.

He stumbled, his other hand now pulling desperately at her shirt, pulling it up enough so that he could lean down and lick her other hard nipple. She leaned back and sighed deeply, moving away to pull her shirt off and drop it to the floor. She then reached for his shirt, and he pulled away just long enough so that she could pull it off. He was back to her breasts as soon as he could, switching sides, and Frisk's hands went back to his hair, her thigh pushing up closer against his groin, loving how hard he was.

"Frisk," he tried again, moving his head up to her neck, then to her ear, where he whispered, "Please, I need you so much, Frisk..."

She smiled, her eyes open and warm, and she touched his face gently. "Oh, Asriel," she whispered back. "Please, be with me..." She hooked her legs around his waist, and he grabbed hold of her and held her close, kissing her deeply and carrying her to their bedroom.

Frisk slid down out of his arms the moment she could, pulling her pants off before she pulled his off, her passion hot, now. She knelt down and grabbed the base of his cock with one hand, leaning forward and kissing the tip gently, and he stumbled back, sitting down on the bed in his surprise. She knelt in front of him and gently pulled his foreskin back, before she took the head of him into her mouth and sucked down on him hard, and he moaned, grabbing onto her shoulders, his head tilting back and his eyes shutting tight. She smiled, pulling back and licking over him, before moving her head forward and taking his full length into her mouth, her eyes closing. Asriel gasped out her name, and she continued, moving both her lips and tongue along his hard length, and his legs hooked around her, shaking.

She kept going, loving how he reacted and finding herself turned on by it, her other hand reaching down and between her legs, unable to help herself. Asriel noticed, the sight alone of his wife touching herself while pleasuring him making his mouth go dry with lust. "Oh, fuck, Frisk," he gasped out, staring at her, unable to look away from her, now.

"Mm," she answered, her voice adding to the sensual feel of her mouth around him, and he shut his eyes briefly, his nails digging into her shoulders, his hands shaking, now. 

"Frisk, stop, I'm close... I'm really close..." he begged. "I want to... I want you... Please, I'm..." He pushed her away, and she pulled back, licking her lips slowly, tasting how close he was already. She grinned up at him, her hand still on him, and he took hold of her forearms and pulled her to her feet, pulling her onto the bed with him. She landed on him with a squeak, and he grinned and rolled her over onto her back. She reached up to kiss him, but he moved away and instead moved to where she had been, pulling her to him and burying his face between her legs, licking her already-wet folds eagerly.

"Asriel!" she cried, grabbing onto his horns again in shock, and this time he grinned, reaching up and grabbing hold of her thighs. Her legs went around him, her heels digging into his back, and he plunged his tongue deep into her centre, her taste sending him into a delirium brought on only by her.

Asriel had a long tongue, something that always took her by surprise, no matter how many years had passed. It drove her crazy, especially since it could reach quite deep and lick hard. Her legs began to shake the longer he licked within her, her mind going hazy with each move. She began to move with his tongue, her breaths going short and her body flushing red, and he held her as best as he could, her squirming giving him a bit of trouble.

Suddenly, her legs clenched around him tight, her hands now tangled in his hair, and she began to grind against his face, her breaths turning to gasps from deep within her chest. He knew she was close, even before she cried out, "Stop, Asriel, I'm close - Asriel - I'm close... _Asriel!"_ But he wasn't done. He wanted her to come - and more than once. She shouted out, arching her back, her nails digging into his scalp. "Asriel... I'm-I'm--!" He pulled her hips to him and thrust his tongue in hard, and she keened out as she came, gasping, her voice going hoarse. He slowed down, but still kept licking, tasting her and closing his eyes, his heart pounding with his own need.

Frisk went limp, falling back onto the bed, her hands dropping to her sides, gasping for air, and Asriel pulled away slowly, licking his lips and relishing in her taste. He leaned down and gently brushed her hair away from her sweaty face, and she whispered, "Asriel... I wanted to..."

He moved closer, kneeling between her legs, lowering himself close enough so that the head of his cock brushed against her clit, and her eyes snapped open, their glazed colour sparking as they met his. Her hands reached up shakily and grabbed onto his shoulders, and he grinned at her. He moved down to his elbows, pressing his body against hers with no space between. "You will," he promised, before he pushed into her fully. Her eyes closed and her hips moved up to meet his, her breath hissing out.

"Asriel," she whispered, her hands moving up to cup around his face, her eyes opening. "Please, please, don't stop, my love."

In reply, Asriel kissed her, hard, and began to move, slowly, and she moaned against his kiss, her body already so sensitive that just a slow pace drove her crazy. His hands touched her face, her hands moving back to his shoulders and her legs gripping around his waist tight, and he licked her lips apart, his eyes closing as he moved faster, the feel of her absolutely intoxicating, still so hot and wet from her previous orgasm. 

"M-more," she pleaded against his lips, and he moaned softly and moved faster, feeling her clench around him in response, her legs still shaking. "Asriel..." she murmured, and he nodded. She repeated his name again, then again, before she gritted her teeth, pulling from the kiss to groan out loud and long. "Harder," she begged, her voice cracking. "So close... _please, Asriel..."_

Asriel could barely take it when she begged, and of course he increased the pace, finding it easy by how wet and slick she was. Her eyes squeezed tight, her teeth bared and her face bright red, and she dug her nails into his shoulders so hard they would leave marks, later. "F-fuh...!" she gasped out, the closest she ever came to swearing, and he opened his eyes to watch her, loving to watch her come. She threw her head back and pleaded out his name, her voice breaking again as she came, her hands scratching at his shoulders desperately. She flushed hot, both inside and out, and Asriel buried his face into her chest, his own eyes shutting as now he felt himself close, again.

"Asriel," she moaned out as he slowed, so that he drew out her orgasm longer. He raised his head to look at her again, panting, now, himself, and she looked at him with her eyes glazed over but blazing. "Come for me," she demanded, her hands on his face again. "Come inside of me... let me feel it... please, Asriel..."

He groaned, his eyes closing from her words, so breathless that he couldn't respond. He sat up onto his knees, grabbed her legs behind her knees, and began to thrust harder into her. She grabbed onto his hips, her head tilting back again, and she said, her voice drawn out, "Yes... Asriel... _yes...!"_ She clenched around him hard, and he moved faster, hooking her ankles around his neck and grabbing hold of her hips, going as fast as he possibly could, his whole body filling with pleasure the more he went on. It wasn't long until he finally felt his control snap, and with a shout of her name, he came, hard, so intensely he stumbled, and she breathed out his name, feeling it and loving the heat of it, licking her lips. He then collapsed on top of her, boneless, gasping for breath, and she lay beneath him, just as limp, also gasping. 

They lay together that way, covered in sweat, their hearts racing against each other. Both blissed out, barely awake and lost in the high of their orgasms and loving it. 

When he could, Asriel reached up and held Frisk's sweaty face between his hands, raising his head, his eyes half-open. Frisk's eyes slowly opened, and for a moment they stared at each other, finding no words that were good enough to translate how they felt. Both felt so close to each other, as if their souls had merged together and were now one entity forever. Asriel's eyes filled with tears, and so did Frisk's, her hands shakily holding onto his forearms. Silently, they kissed, a slow, deep kiss, their tears mingling together and their breaths shaky.

When they broke apart, Asriel wiped away her tears gently, and Frisk reached up and did the same, though of course more tears came.

"Asriel," Frisk whispered, her voice hoarse, and he nodded. "I love you so much, Asriel. I never want us to be apart. And... I finally understand what you mean. With you..." She smiled. "I feel ageless, too."

Asriel shut his eyes, a small sob escaping him. "Frisk," he choked out. "Oh, Frisk, I... I..." And he burst into tears, burying his face into her shoulder, his arms going around her and pulling her close, his tears far more eloquent than anything he could have ever said. Frisk kissed the top of his head, holding him close and stroking his hair and ears slowly, her own tears increasing, feeling so much all at once - especially within her soul.

Nicky was grown up, yes. And with her went their hopes and dreams of her success. But together, nothing matched their own hopes and dreams for each other - because they always made them happen, together, regardless of any odds. And through the defeat of those odds, their hearts and souls seemed to merge more and more.

And both were so much better for it. 

When they fell asleep that night, still wrapped up in each other's arms, they dreamt only of each other, of sweet reality - only to wake up and find that even those dreams paled in comparison to that reality.


	35. Choose (Delilah)

**SPOILERS FOR _DELILAH_**

The moment the shields went down and Frisk fell to the ground, Flowey's desire dissolved into nothing. He and Alphys turned at the same time, but Alphys was quicker and reached Frisk, first. Flowey couldn't move, anyway; the single desire he'd held in his mind, the one thing that the doctor could give him after ruining his life - and death - was replaced with a single, urgent need, and that was to save Frisk. 

But how could he? 

And sans just stood there, not even able to look at what he had done - and done intentionally, too. For a moment, Flowey almost attacked him, not caring if sans killed him as a result. If Frisk died... if she died... what had he to live for, anyway? 

He couldn't cry. He wanted to, desperately. But as Flowey, he couldn't. He looked away from sans and stared at Frisk and Alphys, trembling, now. Alphys was shaking Frisk, talking to her, but Frisk wasn't moving. The only sign that she was alive was her soul, still exposed and flickering, but it, too, was dying. He stared at it. 

_I can't,_ he thought, a sudden idea hitting him, hard. _I can't do that. I can't do it._ Long-dim memories of Chara, of their plan, flooded his mind, and only served to increase his panic. 

_But if I don't, she'll die. She'll die forever. Just like Chara._

_She can't die. She_ can't _die! If she dies... if she dies...!_ He knew what he would do: go insane. 

_Then I have to do it._

He stared at Frisk again, hearing how panicked Alphys was, now how desperate she sounded. Frisk wasn't moving, and her soul was growing dimmer and dimmer the longer he watched. 

He was talking, but he didn't really know what he said. All he could think about was that Frisk couldn't die, and there was only one choice he could make to prevent it. 

It hadn't worked last time; he and Chara both died. But the circumstances couldn't be more different, and he didn't care by now. He had to try. He _had_ to. A world without Frisk wasn't a world that deserved to exist, and if the world lost Frisk, he would make sure that world didn't exist. 

So he reached out, ignoring Alphys's screams, and stole Frisk's soul. 

And it was the best choice he had ever made. 


	36. Immortal (Make Up Your Mind)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are still nineteen slots open for prompts requests! If you have one, please leave it in the comments! Thankee!

**SPOILERS FOR _MAKE UP YOUR MIND_**

As Flowey, he figured that he'd be immortal. Nothing could kill him, not with Chara's remnants remaining within him that allowed him to reset. He spent that freedom doing everything - then nothing - then more than everything - until he thought he'd lose his mind. In face, he was so close to insanity, he welcomed it; maybe it would finally destroy his soul and that would make life bearable again.

Until Frisk jumped, that is. She was so small, so young, that he fully expected to kill her in one go. She was actually exciting to him, as she was something new and different - but by then, he was angry, and thus he wanted her to die, too.

Toriel stepped in and saved Frisk, and having done that, saved her son, too. Because once he began to understand just what Frisk could do, and how easily she could do it, he saw not just a distraction, but a way out. 

He'd killed his own father. Stolen those souls. Did everything he could to kill Frisk, too. But she won. And, intrigued, he used what little power he still had to give her another chance - and thus giving him another chance to die at her hands. He didn't know why he did that. He thought it was to die. But, decades later, he still wasn't sure that was it. Yet she took it, and as a result, not only did she save everyone, but had excised that part of Chara that still haunted him, in one single hug.

After all that he'd done to her. After everything that he'd done to the Underground. And yet Frisk still spared him - saved him. And then, to keep him not only from going insane, but also from loneliness, she'd visited him every single week for eight years, no matter what. oh, they fought, and made mistakes, but they'd also laughed, and Flowey had fallen hard for her over those years - an emotion he thought had died with Chara.

And then, suddenly, he was faced with true mortality: Frisk's. And he couldn't stand it. So he chose mortality, too. And, together, they'd found a way to not only bring his life back, but also Frisk's - despite the price she'd been willing to pay for him.

And through those years, he'd seen so much that reminded him of that precarious mortality, especially through Frisk. He began to grow older. So did his parents, now mortal with his return, too. And his daughter - his half-human, half-monster child, grew up into a strong woman, just like her mother. 

Asriel knew he'd truly have to die one day. There would be no resetting after his death. It was a reality he used to yearn for, used to chase after and hunt down. Now, he saw it as something inevitable, something he'd done before, and could now see again, this time without the torment that had kept his soul and Chara's tethered for so long. He would die, turn to dust, and know that he wouldn't come back - and that was okay.

When he looked into Frisk's eyes and saw all that they had shared, had faced together, and had survived, Asriel knew that he'd finally be able to rest peacefully - wherever that death took him.

He no longer sought death. But now, he could not be afraid once death sought him.


	37. Open Your Eyes (All This And Heaven Too)

**SPOILERS FOR _ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO_**

For years, Frisk had kept it a secret from him. She had no idea, even when he was Flowey, how to bring it up. So she kept it to herself, as he probably wouldn't want what she had as Flowey, anyway.

When she saved him, and he in turn saved her, still she kept it to herself. She didn't know why; now that he was himself, Asriel had a right to it, after all. But things were already so confusing, and as time went on, everything spiralled into further confusion. 

It was only on the night of their Underground wedding, once they'd woken from making love, that Frisk finally found the courage. While Asriel still slept, she slipped from the bed and went to the second bedroom, where she'd hidden it all of this time. When she came back, he was awake, looking worried, until he saw her. Then he smiled and relaxed. 

"Where'd you go?" he wondered. He sat up and crossed his legs, and she smiled and sat down beside him. She took his hand and, silently, dropped the locket into it. His fingers closed over it reflexively, then his eyes widened in shock, opening his hand again to stare at it. "Oh, _shit,"_ he whispered, his voice wavering.

Frisk put her hand on his shoulder, rubbing gently. "I'm sorry I held onto it for so long," she said softly, because she truly was - especially seeing how he reacted, now. "I just... I didn't know when was the right time."

Asriel stared at the locket, his eyes filling with tears. With shaking hands, he opened it, and found the picture within it remained intact. It was of himself and Chara, as children, grinning at the camera. Chara had her arm around Asriel's shoulders, and Asriel was laughing so hard his eyes were closed. Chara smiled bright, her eyes staring right into the camera.

Frisk watched him in silence, her own eyes stinging with tears, but she bit her lip to keep them at bay. Asriel stared at the picture for a long time, his tears falling free, and he occasionally reached up to brush them away.

After a moment, he snapped it closed and looked up at Frisk. Silently, he leaned close and kissed her, surprising her. When he pulled away, he whispered, "Thank you, Frisk. Thank you, so much, for keeping it for me all this time."

"Of course--," she started, but he placed his finger over her lips, silencing her.

"But, Frisk..." He searched her eyes closely, noticing the tears within them, and his hand moved to cup over her cheek. "Frisk, I don't need it anymore. I haven't for a long time."

She was confused, now, and she stayed quiet, so he went on. 

"I don't mean that I don't care about the time I shared with Chara," he continued. "Not at all. I loved Chara, and I always will. I..." He paused, biting his lip for a moment and gazing at the closed locket, before he could go on. "I'll never forget her." He looked up at Frisk again. "But I can't keep looking back." He rubbed her cheek, and now her tears fell free. "I want to keep looking forward, with you." He smiled. "Why else would I marry you, Frisk?"

"Asriel..." she whispered, reaching up and covering his hand with hers. 

"I'll keep this, of course. But as a memory, not as a constant reminder of what I've lost, of what _could_ have been," he concluded. "Because I prefer how things have turned out, and what I've gained." He smiled wider. "You."

Frisk hugged him, then, hard, and he held her tight, stroking her hair as she - and he, as well - wept.

When they got back to Solace, they draped the locket over the picture of the first four Dreemurrs they kept on the bookshelf, before they went forward, and toward their future.


	38. Electrify (Too Heavy A Burden)

**SPOILERS FOR _TOO HEAVY A BURDEN_**

When Frisk realised that she loved Asriel, and had for quite some time, it had been like being stuck by lightning. She felt breathless, shocked, and as if she wanted to pass out. She also felt a little wild, crackling with energy and desperate for an outlet. But she kept it to herself, too frightened of what could happen if she acted on it. 

The moment they kissed, Frisk felt that same jolt hit her, so hard that she felt faint. She knew, without question, that she loved Asriel with everything she was, and would do whatever it took to protect him, even if it meant having to hide that love. 

When she realised that Asriel loved her in return, she felt so engulfed by that giddiness that she wanted to dance and sing and tell the whole world that he did. 

And when they made love that first time, Frisk felt like a storm, herself, full of unrestrained power and energy, able to overcome whatever she faced from sheer determination, alone. And only Asriel could calm those forces within her, because they blazed for him. 

She'd failed their people that day, the monsters still counting on her for their deserved equal rights; it was true. She'd let everyone down. But she wasn't going to give up. With Asriel beside her, she'd never stop fighting. She would crash over her opponents with that same force, and they'd never know what would hit them. 

She would win. Or she'd die trying. She'd done it once; she'd do it again, if need be. 


	39. Starlight (All This And Heaven Too)

**SPOILERS FOR _ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO_**

Asriel loved the night sky. As Flowey, he sometimes spent time in Waterfall, leaving rude messages in the echoflowers, but also gazing at the crystals with a visceral yearning that he'd had even as a child. He'd never seen the stars that first visit to the surface with Chara. It had been morning, and by then, even if he'd wanted to, he'd had no time to even enjoy the normal sky. Soon, all he could see - and feel - was red, and then, nothing at all.

Sometimes, Frisk brought down astronomy books to read to him and show to him, he was spellbound by the pictures, especially of nebulae. That yearning grew into desperation, one he knew would never be satisfied. 

When Frisk brought him back, and then he brought her back, one of the first things they did together was lie down in the backyard and stare up into the night sky. Frisk, who was still recovering during that time, would point out some of the constellations to him, and though he couldn't really see them as they were named, he loved the patterns nonetheless.

One thing, however, cemented his love of stars, and that was after they were married through monster rites and living in Solace. It was dusk one evening, when Frisk walked over to him at his desk and held up a basket. "Wanna go for a picnic?" she wondered with a grin.

"Uh, but..." He blinked. "It's getting dark."

"Yep!" Frisk grinned, and within her eyes he saw a spark of teasing jump into them. "That's the point. Come on, let's go!"

"Uh, but, coyotes?" Asriel pointed out wearily, though he was getting to his feet anyway.

"I've got it covered, sweetie. Come on!"

They did, going to one of the lakes that was nearby their apartment. It was deserted by then, the lake a shimmering pool of silver that reflected the night sky like a wavering mirror. Frisk chose a spot within one of the greenbelt areas, and Asriel followed, his eyes on that lake as though hypnotised.

By the time he'd managed to snap out of it, Frisk had set everything up; she'd spread out a big blanket, keeping another one to the side, and had pulled out a thermos of tea and a bag of chewy cookies, a treat they both adored. She was sitting down cross-legged, grinning, and he sat down beside her, surprised that he could still see much of the sky and the lake, despite the greenery wrapped around them.

For a peaceful moment, they sat in silence, leaning against each other and enjoying their treats. Asriel's heart felt so warm and full that he found himself thinking, and those thoughts made him blush. He looked at Frisk, who noticed and looked up at him with a smile, and his blush deepened.

"You okay?" she wondered. "Is the tea too hot?"

Asriel shook his head. "No, not the tea," he mumbled shyly.

Frisk suddenly lit up, and she grabbed the tea from him and set it aside. Asriel blinked, only to have his eyes flare open in shock when Frisk suddenly moved close to him and crawled over and onto his lap, facing him. 

He grabbed hold of her tight, burying his face into her shoulder. "How do you always know?" he wondered, still shy.

Frisk nuzzled his cheek with her own in reply, pulling at his shirt. She took it off and leaned closer, kissing down along his jaw and to his neck, and he shivered, clinging closer, his hands reaching under her shirt to undo her bra. She leaned down and flicked her tongue over one of his nipples, and he gasped, heat spiking into him so suddenly that he stumbled a bit. Frisk held him steady, doing it again with his other nipple, and he growled a little, pulling at her shirt.

Frisk pulled back to take it off and shrug off her bra, and he instantly retaliated, leaning down and licking one of her breasts. She sighed, her eyes closing and her legs tightening around his waist. Her hands moved down, one hand undoing his pants, the other brushing over his erection through them, and he clung to her again. She tugged at them, undoing the zipper and slipping her hand under and brushing her fingertips over him lightly.

"Frisk," he whispered, his eyes shut. She nodded. "Please...?"

She pulled away for a moment, and they both almost tore their own pants off, both rather eager, now, before Frisk was back in his lap. He pulled her close, lying down on his back on the blanket, and she followed, kissing him deeply, one hand grasping onto him as she moved herself down towards him. They stared at each other for a moment, just to see each other, before she pressed down and took him deeply into her. She paused again, closing her eyes and smiling. Asriel stared at her, his heart racing just from that expression, alone.

"Oh, Frisk," he whispered, reaching up and touching her cheek softly. She opened her eyes and nodded. "I love you so much."

Her eyes wavered, her smile widening. She pulled his hands down to her hips, and he gripped tight. Then, she started to move, and he was lost to her immediately, the feel of her overwhelming him but in the best way. He shut his eyes tight, leaning his head back, and she grabbed onto his shoulders, keeping her pace slow.

"Asriel," she murmured. "Look up, sweetie."

He blinked his eyes open slowly, then looked up. Above him was a canopy of stars, the most he'd ever seen outside of the city. He stared, speechless, his hold on her hips gripping tighter. Then, his eyes moved to Frisk, and his breath caught; the stars stretched above her, too, their gentle light illuminating her into someone even more beautiful. He wanted to say so much, then, but his words failed him. There were no words good enough to describe this - and her.

She closed her eyes again, her hold on his shoulders tightening as she increased the speed. Asriel kept his eyes open, staring at her, his breaths quickening as she did. She felt so warm and alluring, her movements so wonderful and amazing, that his eyes wavered, stinging a little. 

Soon, her nails dug into his shoulders, and she leaned down and pressed her forehead against his chest, gritting her teeth, shakily beginning to grind against him, gripping onto him tight. He moved his hands up and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close, and she moaned softly, the sound sending another spike of desire into him.

"Asriel..." she whispered. "You... feel so amazing... I'm... already so close..."

He reached up and cupped her face into his hands. Her eyes fluttered open, glazed over, her face red. "Frisk, please," he whispered. "Come for me."

"Asriel..." she groaned out, her eyes closing again and her head lowering again, her teeth bared. She moved closer, panting now, and he could feel her go hot and grip hard. With a long, drawn-out cry, she came, pushing hard against him. Asriel held her tight, loving every moment of it. His eyes looked up again, getting lost in both the feel of Frisk and the sight of the stars above her. 

She clung to him as she calmed, and once she did, she slowly sat back up and grabbed onto his shoulders again for balance, shaking a little. Then, she shifted, and started to move again, this time quicker. Asriel was the one who groaned this time, holding onto her hips again and encouraging her to move faster. She did, gasping a little from aftershock, but she didn't stop. He stared at her, loving how she looked against the backdrop of the night sky. Nothing, he truly felt, could be more beautiful than this moment. Nothing at all.

Frisk shifted again, pressing against him again in order for him to thrust deeper. Asriel hissed out a held breath, feeling closer the longer she moved, and soon he could feel his control dissolve - then snap. He held her to him and pushed up into her deep, growling out her name as his orgasm hit him hard. She held him close, kissing him through it, and his cries were muffled by her lips.

When he was calm, he lay back, his eyes closed, still holding Frisk tightly to his chest. She snuggled against him, their hearts racing against each other. She reached up and stroked one of his ears, and he melted, grinning and leaning into her touch. She giggled tiredly. 

"That was so nice, Asriel," she murmured. "Could you see the stars?"

His eyes opened in surprise. He looked at her, and she was smiling, though her eyes were closed. "Yeah, I could. How... how did you know?"

"I just did," she admitted with a shrug. She sat up, grabbed the other blanket and draped it over the two of them, before she returned to snuggling against his chest. "You're always looking up at night. I wanted you to be able to actually see them - and feel good, too."

Asriel's eyes burned with tears, again, and he rested his cheek against her head. He was speechless again.

"Was... was it okay?" she added softly.

"Frisk..." he answered, his voice wavering. She raised her head and looked at him, and he stared at her, his eyes full of tears, now. "It was wonderful." She smiled in relief. "You're amazing," he added.

"Oh, hush," she replied shyly, burying her face into his shoulder. He laughed and held her closer. 

They stayed until the night was fully in view, unbothered by any coyote, before they reluctantly packed up and made their way back. The entire way home, holding her hand tight, Asriel gazed at Frisk instead of the sky. To him, she shone brighter than them all, and was worth even more to him than all of them put together.


	40. Sacrifice (Delilah)

**SPOILERS FOR _DELILAH_**

Frisk truly hadn't meant to die that day. She truly meant to die many, many years from now, surrounded by family and friends, especially her parents. That had been the plan.

But that was before Sans had shown up - and practically ruined everything.

Which is what she wanted to think, really. She wanted to pretend that Sans was ruining everything. But the more he attacked her, and the weaker she got, her thoughts began to focus on one possibility, and she realised: _perhaps it's lucky he's here, after all._

She wanted to save Flowey. She wanted to bring Asriel back. She was the only one with the key ingredient to do so. She knew, deep down, that Sans wouldn't be able to murder her - not completely. Somehow, she knew he couldn't; he was the type to injure her enough to allow death to come on its own. So if she let him do that, just close enough to death, and then Flowey would be able to take her soul, and then... and then...

So when Sans gave her that final chance to walk away, she hesitated. This was her chance, she knew it was. But, her heart ached. To do this to her parents... her friends... her _family..._

_This is to bring them more joy. You know it is. It's to correct a wrong you couldn't correct eight years ago. Now's the time. Take it._

So, she took it. She refused to walk away. She sealed her fate.

But in all of her thoughts, she'd forgotten one person: Flowey.

By then, it was too late.


	41. Honour (The Queen of Peace)

**SPOILERS FOR _THE QUEEN OF PEACE_**

Frisk was on bedrest, and she loathed it. She understood why she was, and reluctantly agreed with it, but that didn't stop her from hating it any less.

It was made even more irritating that Nicky loved to kick her; in fact, it was the very reason why she was on bedrest in the first place. Bedrest did not stop the kicking - at all - and more than once, Dr Thicke's proved true, and Nicky did kick Frisk's scar tissue and in turn put her in so much pain that she did pass out. Luckily, she was rarely alone during these moments, and managed to wake up quickly enough with help.

But, oh, she loathed it, very much. She didn't sleep much, and needed help every time she left the bed, and found herself bored and frustrated.

At first, anyway.

Asriel, it turned out, was a wonderful caretaker. He never hesitated to help her whenever she needed it, no matter how small the request - or how big.

She always fell asleep in Asriel's arms. and he would always stroke her hair until he was sure she was asleep. If she got kicked awake in the middle of the night, Asriel would wake up with her and rub her belly until either Nicky - or Frisk, herself - calmed down enough for more sleep. 

When she woke up, Asriel was always there, waking her up with a smile and a "howdy". Frisk always had to hug him, no matter what, for that, and he always replied with, "Are you hungry?" When she nodded - she usually was very hungry in the morning - he'd always get her whatever she asked for, no matter how weird, and kept her company as she ate. And whenever she finished, he always cleaned up right away and turned on the TV for her - something that was always distracting. 

Nicky always kicked her as she watched TV, and Frisk often wondered if her daughter knew that what Frisk watched was rather questionable. Asriel sat down beside her, putting a hand on her belly and his head on her shoulder, and she managed to relax as best as she could.

"Damn," Asriel murmured once. "She sure kicks a lot, doesn't she?"

"Ugh," Frisk answered tiredly, rolling her eyes and resting her head on his. "It sucks, Asriel. I wish I could kick back, sometimes."

"Yeah, but at least she's happy and healthy!" he replied with a smile.

"I gu-ow," Frisk suddenly said sharply. She grabbed onto his hand tight, leaning forward, her other hand on her belly. She shut her eyes. "Asriel..." she growled out, and he grabbed her, putting his other arm around her shaking shoulders. 

"Breathe slowly," he said softly. She did, nodding, her teeth bared, her hand going up to her chest. "Breathe, my love."

"Asriel, I... I... it's..." Her hand gripped hard, then loosened, and she fell back, out cold. Asriel leaned over her, shaking, listening carefully and still holding her close; she was still breathing, sweating hard, now. Carefully, he lay her down on her back and got up quickly, grabbing a face cloth and soaking it in cold water. He then rushed back and sat back down, cleaning the sweat from her face slowly. She stirred, her eyes fluttering open again slowly.

"Howdy," he whispered gently. She stared up at him, her eyes a bit faded with pain but still able to focus. "Welcome back."

"As... Asriel," she whispered back, her hand shakily grabbing onto his again tight. Her eyes filled.

"No, don't," he said, leaning down and gathering her up into his arms, stroking her hair slowly. She cried anyway, grabbing hold of him as tight as she could. He held her through it, his eyes closed, unable to help tears of his own from reaching his eyes. "It's okay, Frisk. It's okay."

"Asriel..." she repeated into his shoulder, her shoulders shaking. He nodded, but she just held onto him tight. 

When she was calm, she was also exhausted, so he lay her back down and curled up beside her, holding her close, one hand on her belly, the other still stroking her hair slowly. She stared at him, her eyes drooping, and he smiled at her gently. 

"Asriel, why do you do this?" she wondered. He blinked at her, looking confused, so she elaborated. "Why do you help me without even hesitating?"

"Easy," he replied with a smile. "I love you. I'd do anything for you."

Frisk's face crumpled, and she clung to him, bursting back into tears. He held her close until she fell asleep. He held her the whole time she slept, his eyes closed, tears of his own falling into her hair. It was true; he would do anything for her, and always would. 

No matter what.


	42. Bite (Too Heavy A Burden)

**SPOILERS FOR _TOO HEAVY A BURDEN_**

Frisk loved it when Asriel bit her during sex. She didn't know why; all she knew was that when he did, be it on her neck, her shoulders, down to her belly - even sometimes, if he was gentle, her breasts - she went absolutely insane with lust.

She found out purely by accident. They were making out, right before bed, already naked and clinging together, and Frisk's hand was already tight around Asriel's cock, moving her hand up and down his length slowly. He was on top of her, kissing her neck, his hand between her legs and stroking her, when suddenly, with a short cry in reaction to her actions, he bit her. A stab of sudden desire lanced into her with shock, and she gasped, digging her nails into his back with her other hand, her grip on him tightening. 

"Frisk, I'm so sorry!" he cried, pulling away. "Are you alright?"

"Again," she answered, her eyes on his, their colour dark with desire. He blinked, and she tightened her grip on his cock again, squirming under him. "Again, Asriel, _please!"_

"You mean bite you?" he wondered, his eyes closing for a moment, his voice strained. She nodded, and he leaned down and went to the other side of her neck, kissing the curve for a moment before biting down again. She jolted, gasping again and arching against him. 

"Oh, god," she rasped out, her face red and her eyes shut tight. "Asriel, please. _Please!"_ She shifted beneath him, so that the tip of him brushed against her, and he groaned against her neck, angling his hips and pushing deep into her. Her hand went up into his hair, tangling into it with another cry, her legs going around his waist and holding tight. "Again," she pleaded.

Asriel closed his eyes tight, slowly beginning to thrust into her, leaning down and biting her neck again, before trailing over to her shoulder. Frisk buried her face into his shoulder and whimpered, her nails digging into his back. _"Asriel,"_ she gasped out. "Keep... going... so close..."

He was surprised. "Al... Already?" he whispered. She nodded, and he could feel her muscles clenching around him tight. He leaned down, licking from her shoulder to one breast, flicking his tongue over her nipple. 

"There," she groaned out, startling him. "Oh, god, Asriel, bite there..."

Asriel stared at her; her eyes were shut tight, her face still buried into his shoulder. He shifted and leaned down again, licking slowly before, very carefully grazing his teeth over her nipple. She jolted, throwing her head back with another gasp, a low moan dragging out from her throat. He felt her go hot, grasping around him hard, and she came, her nails scratching at his back desperately. Asriel held her close, slowing down as she rode through it. 

When she calmed, he raised his head and kissed her. She returned it, her tongue parting his lips and meeting his own, and he started moving faster again. Frisk clung to him, the feel of her so slick that it was so easy for him to thrust deep. He shut his eyes tight, groaning against her lips as he came, holding her to him close, shuddering and still moving a little through aftershock. Soon, he calmed, relaxing against her, both trembling a little from release.

"That... was... _amazing..."_ Frisk whispered, her eyes still closed, still clinging to him. Asriel nodded, pulling her closer, still unable to speak, yet. "Thank you..."

He laughed softly. "Why are you thanking me?" he murmured.

"I was weird," she admitted shyly. 

He raised his head and looked at her, curious. "Why _did_ you ask me to bite you?"

She blushed. "I dunno. It felt really good."

Asriel laughed, nuzzling her cheek with his. "You _are_ weird, Frisk, but it's awesome."

She giggled a little, too, then pulled him closer and buried her face into his shoulder again. "Sleep?" she wondered, already sounding tired.

"Sleep," he agreed, holding her to him and nuzzling her again, before getting comfortable and closing his eyes, following her into slumber.


	43. Commit (All This And Heaven Too)

**SPOILERS FOR _ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO_**

The moment they both knew they loved each other, it just seemed obvious to Frisk and Asriel that they would get married. Asriel had said it first - and in front of dozens of nosy reporters at that - but when she heard it, Frisk realised how much she wanted it, too. After all that they'd been through, had done and fought for, getting married was such an obvious step that it seemed natural.

Once they'd gotten married Underground, the morning after, they talked about it while still in bed together.

"To be honest," Asriel said softly, his fingertips running up and down Frisk's naked side slowly, which made her shiver in a delightful way. "I've sort of considered us married for a while, now, really."

Frisk reached up and touched his cheek, blushing a little. "What does that even mean?" she wondered shyly.

Asriel smiled at her, his fingers trailing up and over the curve of one breast gently before going back to her side. "Ever since we got together, really," he admitted. "Remember what I said? Why else would I have made love with you, if I had no intention of getting married? I know it's old fashioned, but I meant it. The moment I woke up with you at my side, I was your husband." He blushed. "That sounds a little stupid. Sorry."

Frisk moved closer, clinging to him and burying her face into his chest. "Asriel," she whispered. "It's not stupid at all. I want to be with you forever."

"That's my plan, too," he agreed happily, grabbing hold of her and rolling onto his back with her on top of him. She curled against him, sighing deeply. "No matter what, Frisk, I'm yours."

Frisk hesitated. "Really?" she whispered. 

"Of course.'

Frisk suddenly clung tighter to him, raising her head to look into his eyes. "I'm yours, Asriel," she agreed softly, her eyes wavering. "I... I never want to be apart from you. Ever."

"Good," he replied, feeling his own eyes sting a little, though he was smiling. "That makes it easier for me to stay with you."

"Kiss me," she requested gently, and he did, sealing the deal.


	44. Fake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are still 18 slots open for prompt requests! Please don't hesitate to request anything! I kinda need your prompts, everyone o_o!

He was an imposter and he knew it. And he loathed it, every single second of it. Flowey knew it was necessary, knew there was no other choice, now: he'd been lying to Frisk now for far too long, now, to suddenly come clean and tell the truth. 

It was frustrating. being so close to her, being so near her, without giving her that one thing they both truly wanted, deep down: him coming back as Asriel.

But it was far too late, now. If he revealed himself, she would never trust him again. Even if he confessed, he doubted she'd even believe him, anyway. She would probably assume he was doing it to torment her, to hurt her - the last thing he actually ever wanted. 

So all he could do was continue to lie, to always say the opposite of what he truly wanted to say, what he wished he had the freedom to say to her:

"I don't care if you come here!"

"You pick the weirdest, stupidest shit to read to me."

"Honestly, Frisk, why do you think I give a fuck?"

"You're an idiot."

And the worst of all, the one that always hurt him every time he said it:

"I don't care about you at all, Frisk. Not even a little. And I never will."


	45. Tender (All This And Heaven Too)

**SPOILERS FOR _ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO_**

One morning, Frisk awoke to Asriel poking her in the small of her back. She blinked awake slowly, waking up normally, until she suddenly realised, and she giggled, trying to smother her laughter. Asriel made a small noise, thick with sleep, and she tried to shut up, but it only made her laugh harder.

"Mergh," Asriel mumbled, pushing closer to her and slipping his arms around her, pulling her back towards him. He then made a soft moaning sound, shifting his hips closer, and she started giggling again, covering her mouth with both hands and failing. "Frisk..." he murmured sleepily in reply, starting to wake up a bit more. 

Gently, she touched his hands and pulled them up towards her breasts, her laughs dying down but her smiling widening. She leaned her head back as he inhaled sharply, his hands automatically kneading her breasts. His eyes opened slowly, halfway, and she smiled at him, reaching back and cupping his cheek with one hand. "Good morning," she whispered.

In reply, he kissed her, deeply, his hips grinding against her back again. She closed her eyes and reached down, pulling off her shorts, then reaching back and pulling off his, her hand then grabbing onto his hard cock gently. He groaned, slipping his hand down and between her legs, and this time she closed her eyes and sighed, heat lancing through her, especially when his fingers ran along her folds gently.

Frisk hooked her leg back and around his hip, shifting back and pulling his cock towards her. Asriel moaned against her lips, especially when the tip moved against her clit. She shifted higher and pulled him into her, and they both sighed deeply, especially when he moved his hands to her hips and pulled her closer, pushing fully into her. Frisk cried out softly, and in reply, Asriel pulled from the kiss to lick down her neck, then bite gently. Frisk reached back and grabbed onto his arm with one hand, the other digging into the side of the bed.

They moved slowly together, not rushing, moving towards a slow build that they both craved very much. "Asriel..." Frisk whispered, leaning her head back again, and they kissed once more, their soft cries muffled but no less sweet.

It was a rare moment, one they'd never forget, when Frisk felt herself close at the same time as Asriel. They held each other tight, careful not to increase the pace lest they lost it, and moments, mere seconds after Frisk felt her climax hit, Asriel felt his. They both cried out, still kissing, nails digging into skin, coming together as the sun crested above the horizon.

Asriel pulled Frisk close, burying his face into the back of her neck and panting, still moving a little through aftershocks, sending a few through Frisk. She relaxed against him, her eyes closed but her smile bright, despite also being out of breath.

"Frisk," Asriel murmured, kissing her neck, then her shoulder, his eyes still closed, also smiling. "Oh, Frisk..."

"Mm..." Frisk slowly turned around and pulled him close, burying her face into his shoulder. He held her close, their limbs tangling together, curling around each other like cats in a sunbeam.

In moments, they were asleep again, a sleep full of sweet dreams of each other.


	46. Trouble (Make Up Your Mind)

The night before Frisk and Asriel's twentieth anniversary should have been a harmless one, but it wasn't. If anything, Frisk should have expected _that_ instead of it being harmless. She had, after all, been married to the idiot for that amount of time - was it officially by now? - so she should have expected _something_. She knew that Papyrus was - mostly - harmless, but when in the company of Undyne, who insisted on celebrating loudly, and sans, also oddly seconded that loudness? No, Frisk should have expected at least this.

"Is that Papi?" Nicky wondered sleepily from her place on the couch. She had wanted to stay up with Frisk and Alphys (who all decided that they wanted to stay in and celebrate quietly instead of loudly). Basket, who had also wanted to stay up, was already asleep on the other side of the couch, curled up in a ball.

Frisk waved a hand at her and sighed, the first of many. She had picked up her phone, bemused not only by the unknown number, but also the late time of the call, only to hear the following response to her greeting: "Uh, Frisk, uh... it's me." Followed by loud, drunken laughter, in chorus, in the background. And suddenly Frisk felt a headache coming on.

"Where are you, Asriel?" Frisk replied, rubbing the bridge of her nose slowly.

"Uh, you see... uh... it's complicated and _not my fault!"_ He snarled the last bit, sounding like he aimed it more over his shoulder than at her.

Frisk listened, and heard more drunken laughter in reply. "Ah," Frisk mumbled. "You guys got too rowdy. Which jail?"

Alphys jerked up and stared at Frisk the moment 'jail' left her mouth. With a look of horror, she then face-palmed, groaning a little. Clearly, she was now regretting not going along to supervise her wife's alcohol-intake.

"Don't lump _me_ in with these idiots!" Asriel protested furiously. Which was actually fair; Asriel hadn't had alcohol in well over a decade, after all. "I just wanted to have a fun night out, but these morons wanted to act like... you know, those small little bastards who booze and fight each other?"

Frisk paused, momentarily taken aback by this. Asriel actually remembered reading those books with her, after all of these years? Enough to retain such a detail? "The Nac Mac Feegles?" she offered.

"Yes! Those little fuckers! I'd take them over these three any day!" Asriel growled.

"Wait, even Papyrus?" Frisk blinked. Alphys was tugging on her arm, squeaking insistently - clearly she wanted to get going before Undyne caused any property damage. "But Papyrus was supposed to be the DD!"

"Blame the bastard!" Asriel replied coldly.

"For the love of pie, Asriel..." Frisk sighed again.

"I know! You think I don't know?! But _you_ try getting between him and sans and Undyne! They were _competing,_ Frisk. Each time they got Papyrus to take a shot, _they took two."_

More insistent squeaking and tugging from Alphys - as well as curiously sleepy expressions from Nicky, and now Basket, who was awakened by the excitement.

"Which jail?" Frisk repeated. He told her, and she wrote it down. "Why did they arrest you if you're sober?" she added, as she gave Alphys the address to map out on the transit line for them to take.

Asriel growled, low in his throat - and was chorused by more laughter.

"Never mind, you can tell me when we get there. See you soon, and hang in there. Be like Tiffany!"

"Can I bash them with a frying pan, too?"

"Maybe when you get home," Frisk replied before she hung up.

"They got arrested? They got _arrested?!"_ Alphys blurted out, again resuming her tugging of Frisk's arm. "Frisk, we need to go, I've got the routes, let's go, before she breaks something!"

"Can we--?" Basket started.

 _"No!"_ Alphys answered sharply, and Frisk nodded in agreement to Nicky. Both Nicky and Basket scowled.

* * *

 

"Oh, thank all that is good and holy," was the greeting they received when they walked into the building. The officer looked one second from snapping, and when both Frisk and Alphys walked in, she looked ready to cry in relief. "Ambassador, please? Help? Just... ugh!"

"I-I'm so sorry!" Alphys offered, but the officer shook her head and waved them to the back with her hurriedly. By this time, they were singing the national anthem, loudly and with improvised lyrics, and they also found Asriel standing up and tapping his forehead against the wall, not singing.

"So why did you arrest my husband?" Frisk wondered.

"He offered," said the officer. "In order to keep those three in check. If this is them in check, I don't want to know them unchecked."

"N-no," Alphys agreed. "You really don't." They stopped in front of the cell, and Asriel immediately flung himself at the bars.

"Frisk!" he begged. "Save me!"

"You're saved, so shut up," Frisk replied, nodding to the officer, who immediately looked overjoyed to be unlocking the door. Asriel slipped out and clung onto his wife tight, and she sighed yet again but hugged him back.

"Undyne..." Alphys was saying, going into the cell and helping her wife to her feet carefully. "Really?"

"Heheh," Undyne replied, her grin huge but her eye glassy. She leaned on Alphys and reached up, touching Alphys's glasses gently. "Yeah. Because... because Papyrus was a booze-virgin! Heheh!"

"NO," Papyrus broke in, now being helped up by Asriel, as sans was helped by Frisk. "I'VE HAD THE BOOZE BEFORE! JUST NOT..." He hiccuped. "...SO MUCH. AND TO SUCH A HIGH DEGREE OF... BRAIN-WARPING."

"wuss," sans replied helpfully. Frisk loosened her hold so he stumbled, and he added, "uncool, frisk."

"Do we need to pay any--?" Frisk wondered, but the officer shook her head and held up her hands.

"No! No! Just take them!" she pleaded. "And we'll be even! Please, just take them!"

"Thanks," Frisk smiled at her, and with a look to Asriel and Alphys, proceeded to drag their friends back to New Solace.

* * *

The bus ride home was... interesting, at least. Papyrus fell asleep on Asriel almost immediately, adding even more to his already-taxed mood. Undyne kept whispering things to Alphys, giggling after each sentence, and from the expression on Alphys's face - and from how red she went - it wasn't exactly an innocent topic. sans was staring out the window, occasionally laughing at whatever her saw that amused him - known only to him. Frisk held her head in her hands, feeling her headache coming back.

"Undyne," Alphys said, her voice a little strained. "All of that would be lovely, except for one thing: you're absolutely wasted."

Undyne blinked, then giggled into her shoulder. "A little," she agreed. "But we can still try!"

"Asriel," Frisk muttered, not looking up. "How the hell did a night out to celebrate our marriage end up this way?"

Asriel pointed wordlessly at sans, who was still gazing out the window. "He started it! Undyne helped!" He had to speak over Papyrus's snores.

"I am very helpful," Undyne agreed, grinning. Alphys shot her a look, and she blushed a little, at least.

"sure, blame me," sans answered. "always blame me. just because i may have messed up _once,_ none of you ever let me live it down."

Undyne snickered at that, and this time Alphys sighed.

"Pretty sure your past actions have dick-all to do with you and Undyne throwing shots at Papyrus!" Asriel growled, gesturing at the sleeping skeleton on his lap. "Why does this happen to _me?!"_

"You?" Frisk echoed. _"You?!"_

"Er," Alphys broke in, holding up a hand - one Undyne stared at avidly. "Let's not, okay?"

"see," sans muttered. "always blaming me."

Frisk turned to him and seethed, and he noticed and shut up.

* * *

Asriel poured Papyrus into the chair carefully, and was surprised when Papyrus didn't even wake up or react. Basket and Nicky, however, did react - by immediately bursting into laughter. (And again, Papyrus didn't react.)

"Shut up, punks," Undyne growled, startling them both. Basket stared at her mother and burst into even harder laughter, snorting with every other laugh. Nicky covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter, as she had always been a little intimidated by Undyne when her aunt was angry. Basket had no such filter, and quite easily laughed at her mother with no worry.

Undyne lunged at Basket and grabbed her into a headlock - then tripped on her own feet and tumbled to the floor with her daughter in her arms. Luckily, Undyne landed on her back and not on Basket, but that didn't stop Basket from complaining about it loudly - which made Undyne start laughing in reply.

"Undyne," Alphys muttered. She leaned down and helped Basket to her feet, but left Undyne laughing on the floor.

"Wow," Basket snorted. "Just... wow, Mom."

In reply, Undyne held up her hands and started singing the national anthem again, laughing between every line. sans heard as he and Frisk walked in, and joined in cheerfully - which in turn had Frisk dropping him at once. She shut the door and stormed into the kitchen, making a pot of strong coffee.

"Papi," Nicky said carefully, sitting down on the floor beside him. "What happened?"

"Yes, Asriel," Frisk agreed darkly, "what happened?"

Asriel groaned, leaning over and whispering to Nicky, "Please save me from your mami, will you? She's gonna kill me!"

"Probably," Nicky agreed. "And I will always remember you. But at least you aren't drunk."

"I swear, I tried to stop them!" Asriel insisted. "Have _you_ tried prising anything out of Undyne's hands?!"

"Er," Alphys offered. "It's impossible. Very impossible."

"See?" Asriel was nodding. "See?! Impossible! And if I tried more than I did, she'd probably would have made me eat like five spears!"

"Eight," Undyne corrected.

Frisk sighed as loud as she could. "Alphys, I adore you, but can you please take your sloshed wife home?"

"Aw..." Undyne pouted, and Alphys nodded with a blush, helping Undyne to her feet. "S-sorry," she said. "Bassy, take your mom's other side, please." Basket did, snorting out another laugh as she did, only this time Undyne joined in happily. They could still hear her laughing as they walked down the hallway, even after they closed the door. Frisk honestly did not envy Alphys at all.

sans was still humming under his breath, now seated at the table, when Frisk slammed a mug of coffee in front of him. "So you're staying the night, because you're an idiot," she told him.

"heh, oops," sans agreed, taking a gulp without arguing, though he did make a face.

Frisk nudged Papyrus awake and gave him a mug, one he eyed for a moment before handing it back and going back to sleep. She rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Asriel...?"

"I tried!" Asriel insisted.

"he did," sans agreed. "we just didn't care. undyne knew i was upset and wanted to help cheer me up."

"Wait, what?" Frisk turned back to him, even as his eyes flared and he immediately looked regretful. "You were upset? About what?"

Asriel and Nicky were also staring at him, now, sharing almost identical expressions of surprise. Apparently this was news to Asriel, too.

"uh," sans said slowly. "uh... can we just sing again, please?"

"You know what?" Frisk growled. "Whatever. I do not care. You're an idiot, sans. Bottom line. So is Undyne. You and Papyrus sleep out here tonight. _You."_ She pointed at Asriel, who blinked in shock, shrinking a little. "Come on. I'm tired. Imagine that! Nickname." She pointed at her daughter and smiled. "Are you staying the night, too?"

"Sure!" Nicky replied, smiling back.

"Great!" Frisk said honestly, before she glared at sans a final time. Asriel had already slunk off to their bedroom, so she went to join him.

Nicky hesitated, making sure they were both gone, before she glared at sans, herself. "Seriously? Are you serious, Uncle sans?"

"i hate that you know," sans admitted sadly.

"You're lucky they don't," she hissed at him. "I won't tell them, but jeez, are you kidding me?!"

"LIKE A TEEN IN SPRING!" Papyrus added unhelpfully as he turned over. sans glowered at him, but he didn't notice.

Nicky rubbed her face, then sat down across from sans, her eyes serious. "Uncle sans," she started, but he held up his hand.

"there are three of you," he interrupted. "who's the real one?"

Nicky made a face and stood back up again. "Never mind. Goodnight." She gave his hand a pat and left.

sans glared at Papyrus again. "ass."

"NYEH," was the sleepy reply.

* * *

Asriel changed into his pyjama bottoms and leapt into the bed, hiding under the covers. Frisk rolled her eyes and changed into her own, tossing a shirt over them as well (they had company, after all.). She then sat down beside Asriel and touched his face through the blankets. He squeaked and tried to move away, but she merely moved her hand along with him.

"What do you think sans is upset about?" she wondered.

Asriel paused, then peered out from under the blankets, looking wary. "You're not going to kill me?"

"Nope," Frisk replied. "I actually believe that sans and Undyne went overboard. I just don't get why. What is sans upset about?"

"Why the hell would you ask me?" Asriel sighed, tugging on his hair a little. "I don't know how to read the bastard. He's like a whole other language in himself. You know him better than pretty much any of us. What do you think his problem is?"

Frisk chewed on her lip, thinking about it for a moment. She honestly couldn't figure it out, though for anyone else looking in, it was quite obvious. For someone as astute a politician as she, it was rather amazing that she could miss such obvious clues - ones that her daughter easily picked up on.

Asriel, however, narrowed his eyes, looking away. He suddenly had an inkling, and he hoped it was wrong (he wasn't). Frisk didn't notice, luckily or unluckily depending on perspective, still trying to figure it out herself. Asriel bit his lip, clenching his fists a little. Suddenly, he was quite sure, and he didn't like it. Thinking back, there was quite a bit of evidence to what he was thinking, and he felt a fool for not thinking of it sooner, really. But he wouldn't tell Frisk; she didn't need that on her mind with everything else.

"Well," he said carefully, looking back to her. "Are... are we okay? I really did try, Frisk. I didn't think they would get Papyrus drunk - nor did I think he even could get drunk, come to think of it."

"What was he like?" Frisk wondered, curious now.

Asriel laughed suddenly. "Actually really funny. About ten times more confident and then oddly a blubbering mess of affection. It was really adorable, actually. I know it's silly to apply that word to Papyrus - he's not a kid - but he really was. I kinda wish I'd thought of recording it."

Frisk smiled, trying to picture it and finding it amusing. "I'm still kinda ticked off, Asriel," she admitted. "But it sounds like there was some fun to be had, anyway."

"And now I have something to hold over the three of them," Asriel agreed with a devious grin. "I had to pay their damned bill!"

Frisk laughed, and he smiled at her, relaxing at the sound. He reached over and touched her knee, and she covered his hand with hers, squeezing gently. "Well, it's after midnight," she observed. "Happy anniversary."

Asriel leaned close and kissed her. "Happy anniversary," he agreed. "And you have to admit, we probably should have expected something this stupid to happen on a day like this."

"Truly," Frisk replied with a nod. "Poor Alphys, though."

"Yeah," Asriel agreed, wincing. "Undyne is already so loud. When she's soaked she's almost her own volume setting. It's kind of amazing."

Frisk leaned back and curled up under the blankets, her exhaustion finally catching up with her, and she closed her eyes. "What a stupid night," she concluded.

Asriel curled up against her, resting his cheek on her chest, and she held him close. "Well, consider this, then: at least now, with this, tomorrow - uh, later today - could go badly and still look better than tonight."

Frisk laughed again, kissing his nose in agreement, and he grinned.

(sans and Papyrus did sleep through the night, and Papyrus woke up confused and with little memory of the night, while sans woke up with all of the memory and more embarrassment. He was so embarrassed that he and his brother were gone before any of the Dreemurrs woke up. It was probably for the best that way.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY. I hope the length of this story somewhat makes up for it! I should have more frequent updates after this, I swear!


	47. Final (The Queen Of Peace)

Asriel was sitting with one-year-old Nicky in the waiting room of Dr Thicke's office, bouncing her on his knee and making ridiculous noises at her - noises she echoed and loved and laughed at with delight, her small hands reaching up and occasionally grabbing either onto his ears or his horns and tugging, which made him laugh. 

"Papi!" she chirped, sending his heart racing, like it always did whenever she said it. It had been her first word, and she delighted in saying it, especially when he reacted the way he did, which was to hug her close and rock her, bringing forth uncontrollable giggles.

"Nicky, you're wonderful!" he declared, and she giggled again, nuzzling his cheek with hers. There was no question: Asriel adored and loved his daughter to the core, and would do anything for her. He loved her, loved seeing parts of her that were both himself and Frisk, and above all, loved children. 

It was why they were there in the first place.

The door opened, and a nurse waved the two in. Asriel scooped Nicky up into his arms with a jolt to his stomach, as Nicky said, "Mami?" in a curious voice, one he nodded to with a kiss to her nose. He followed the nurse into the small examination room, where Frisk sat still wearing her paper gown - and a blank expression, her arms crossed over her chest. Dr Thicke had a hand on her shoulder, the touch gentle, but nothing would change her expression.

"Sit down, Mr Asriel," Dr Thicke said gently. He did, his eyes still on his wife, who finally looked up at him, her eyes dark. In that look alone, suddenly, with a clench to his stomach, he knew. He knew, and he wanted to cry - and he could tell that Frisk, did, too. 

"I've looked over Frisk completely and gone over her test results, and found that..." Dr Thicke sighed, looking despondent, herself. "I'm sorry. You can't have anymore children."

Frisk covered her face and hunched down, her shoulders shaking. Asriel sat stunned, even as Nicky tried to get his attention by pulling on his ear, hard, and calling for him. "But..." Asriel murmured, staring at the doctor. "But, Doctor, she had Nicky, and she's healthy, now..."

"She's _not_ healthy, Asriel, and the sooner you accept that, the better," Dr Thicke said sternly, and Frisk flinched. "Frisk was permanently damaged by both the gunshot and the difficult pregnancy. She will have problems breathing for life, Asriel. And the fact that she couldn't even have Nicky normally - and that a C-section almost killed her - should be enough for you to understand that."

"I'm sorry," Frisk said weakly, her voice choked. She was shaking. "I'm sorry, Asriel. I'm so sorry..."

Asriel got to his feet and sat down beside her, holding Nicky in one arm and putting the other around Frisk, tight. She grabbed onto them both, hard, burying her face into his shoulder as she cried. Though his own tears were falling, now, he held her and tried his best to comfort her. "Don't be," he whispered, meaning it. "It's not your fault."

Nicky looked confused, and she reached out and touched her mother's face softly. "Mami?" she murmured. Frisk opened her eyes and looked at her, and Nicky stared back, her brow furrowed. "Hurting?" she wondered. 

Frisk stared at her, then pressed her face close to Nicky's, forehead to forehead, and whispered, "Yes, but you're helping it go away."

Dr Thicke gave them a moment, then said, very gently, "I know you wanted more children, and believe me, no one is more deserving of them than you two, but Frisk can't. I would suggest a surrogate, or adoption, if you truly want more, but as your doctor, Frisk..." She hesitated. "I have to advise against it."

Frisk looked up in surprise. "Why?"

"Because you're going to have enough trouble ahead of you with one child," the doctor replied bluntly. "It's going to be taxing on you, if it isn't already. Plus, with the work you do, it will potentially put you at risk. I can't, as your doctor, recommend it. Nicky should be your only child."

Asriel met Frisk's gaze, both wearing the same expression of pain and dismay. Their dream of building a family, of having the large family they always wanted, suddenly dissolved in one single sentence. "I'm... Asriel, I'm..." Frisk's face fell. "I'm so sorry..."

"Mami," Nicky broke in suddenly, reaching up to touch Frisk's face again, touching where it was wet with tears. "Hungry?" It was, after all, why she cried at times.

Frisk stared at her again, for a moment, before suddenly a laugh spluttered forth from her. She reached out, and Nicky crawled into her arms and clung like a koala, burying her face into Frisk's shoulder. Frisk held her tight and laughed, but also cried at the same time, resting her cheek on her daughter's soft, light brown hair. Asriel moved closer and embraced them both tight.

It wasn't at all what they wanted. It wasn't the answer they'd sought. But, at the very least, they still had Nicky, someone they never thought could exist in the first place. Nicky wasn't supposed to be able to exist, wasn't supposed to be alive, but she was, despite all of the odds thrown at her. 

As Frisk and Asriel held her to them dearly, they let themselves remember that well, and made sure they both knew that, many times, Nicky might not have been there at all. A lesson they would learn again several years later, too. 

Nicky was their one and only child. But they would make sure she would never be left wanting, or left lonely. That was for sure.


	48. Waiting

Above all the things he had to face on a daily basis, Flowey hated the waiting most of all. Each span of time between every Friday was like slow torture, an agony that he had never even known as Alphys's test subject, one even worse than constantly resetting and changing everything around. 

At first, he made a point to try and fool himself into thinking that it was boredom that kept him so frustrated, now that Frisk had made him promise not to muck about with everyone. He had had many plans to harass many of the monsters as well as the humans on the surface, so when Frisk appealed to his sense of honour and made him promise to toe her line in the sand, he decided he was bitter and angry about it.

But as the years passed, and he not only got to know more Frisk more, but spent more and more time with her and enjoyed himself, he had to finally admit that it wasn't the lack of mischief that annoyed him, but the lack of Frisk. 

And if anything, that pissed him off more than anything else.

He initially didn't _want_ to care about the human who'd risked her life to save him. He didn't _want_ to look forward to her intruding on his turf and yammering about stuff that happened in her life, a life he was purposefully kept out of because he likely would cause trouble within it. He hadn't _wanted_ to start caring about the stories she told him, the books she read, even the simple sight of her walking into the Ruins and waiting for him.

But he did. 

Once he'd admitted it to himself, it had been several years, and the waiting grew more and more frustrating. He spent the week drifting from place to place Underground, trying to stir up anything in order to distract himself from what - who - he was missing. And yet no matter how many times he tried, no matter how many people he managed to annoy, none of it managed to dispel the loneliness he held for Frisk.

He wished, very often, that he'd had the foresight to request more than one day a week back then, like maybe two or even three days a week. But back then, he was so sure that he didn't want to see her at all, and was certain that he would only humour her just to see how long she could hold out. When it was obvious that she was going to hold out for quite some time, he suddenly wanted more, but never asked, feeling a fool for even thinking it. 

Every time he heard that familiar tread every Friday night, he grew excited. He finally felt better, after a week of waiting and frustration and yearning, he finally felt himself feeling better. Every time she came into few, he always waited a bit before he "greeted" her just to look at her, to feel what he felt, to try not to name it but still knowing its name regardless. 

And every time she left, he felt those horrible feelings come crashing back, reminding him that yet again there was another week to wait before he could finally enjoy her company again.

It was torture. But at least, he figured, he had Fridays at all. That, at the very least, was something, and sometimes made all of those hours spent listless worth while.


	49. Awareness (Heartlines)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is based off of the last part of Abovetale, and is a little Alphyne-centric, but the reason for that is rather obvious as you go, as it affects both Frisk and Asriel directly, too. If you haven't read "Heartlines" yet, either skip this chapter, or go read it and come back, because otherwise you'll have no clue what the hell this is talking about :3

A few weeks after Alphys came home, Asriel and Frisk came by to see her. Undyne had taken time off of work to help her recover, and thus they were also visiting her as a result. It was she who opened the door to them, and she grinned, surprised to see them both.

"Hey, punks!" she said happily, letting them in at once. "What the hell are you two doing here on a weekday? Do your parents know you're playing hooky?"

"Yep," Asriel agreed with a grin, as Undyne hugged Frisk off of her feet - then squawked when it was his turn. _"Guh!"_

Frisk laughed. "I'm still off for personal recovery, and when Mami found out, she insisted that Asriel was, too." She gave Undyne the best impression of Undyne's grin as she could. "We got bored. So here we are."

Undyne raised an eyebrow at that. She knew when she was being teased, and actually rather loved it - especially coming from Frisk. "Well, Alphy and Lioness just woke up, so come on in."

They found the two curled up on the chair together, Dandelion sleepily feeding while Alphys leaned back and rested a bit. She was off painkillers now, and everything really hurt, but moments like this allowed her to focus past that, and she never took them for granted.

Her eyes opened slowly when she heard Frisk and Asriel's voices, and then lit up when she saw them, her face breaking into a smile.

Frisk eyed her closely; there was a definite change in her dear friend, and it wasn't just a lack of medicine. The light in her eyes, the glint like the hardest of flint, was brand-new, but it was beautiful - as well as a little scary, really.

Though she looked tired and sore, her face shone when she saw them, and her smile was real.

Asriel was staring at her, too. The last time they had seen her was at the welcome-home party they'd thrown for her, and she had been doped-up and exhausted, so they hadn't seen the changes in her as clearly as they could, now. It startled him; though over the years, he'd seen Alphys become stronger, he'd never seen her look like _that._

"I can't believe you're here!" Alphys said softly, still grinning, as they sat down on the couch across from the chair. Undyne sat down beside Frisk, shooting a grin to Alphys as she did. "It's so nice to see you. It really is."

"Alphys," Frisk said. "How are you doing?"

"Oh." Alphys smiled wryly, looking down at Dandelion. "I'm fine. A little sore, but I'm fine."

Frisk was silent, and when Alphys looked up, she saw that all three of them, including Undyne, wore expressions of annoyance.

"Alphy," Undyne sighed. "You're lying. And none of us are stupid enough to buy it."

Alphys rolled her eyes, the smile turning into a real one, though she went red in embarrassment. That was another change; when embarrassed, she no longer tried to shrink away, but instead stayed where she was and faced it.

"Can't you just accept the lie, then?" she wondered idly.

"No," Asriel answered a little sharply.

"Okay," Alphys replied, just as Dandelion moved away and tried to get to her feet. Alphys pulled her up for her to do so, her other hand doing up her bra and pulling down her shirt, as she started to pat Dandelion's back.

"I hurt. I have nightmares. I'm still adjusting to feeling strange and weird from the DT. I get tired easy but it takes a while to actually _feel_ it, so I crash a lot. But, I'm _alive._ I'm still alive." She looked away and rested her cheek on Dandelion's head. "So I don't give a shit about anything else."

Silence met her words - until Undyne snorted and said, "You just...!" before breaking into laughter, so hard she had to hold a hand to her shoulder. Alphys shot her a scathing look, but the laughs didn't stop.

"Uh," Asriel murmured, staring at Alphys. "Alphys?"

"Mm," she replied, closing her eyes again and gently rocking Dandelion while still patting her back, still waiting for her to burp.

"You just said 'shit' in front of your baby," he said.

"So did you," she shot back easily with a smirk. Dandelion finally burped, and Alphys grinned, opened her eyes, and held her up carefully, giving her a loud kiss on her nose, which delighted her, before setting her down onto the floor. Immediately, Dandelion grabbed Alphys's legs and pulled herself back up to stand there, though she turned around and eyed Asriel and Frisk sharply.

Frisk looked at Asriel with a smile, and he nodded slowly. They had talked about this on their way here, about how it was likely they'd be able to see the changes in Alphys now that she was off medication. Both had debated what it would mean. Asriel had figured that not much would change at all, just that perhaps she wouldn't be as shy, but not much else. Frisk had, however, expected a great deal of change; they were dealing with an adult monster injected with adult human determination. There was no way Alphys was going to be the same - but she was also optimistic, certain that those changes were for the better. So far, she was right.

Alphys placed a hand on her daughter's head like it was a cap, and Dandelion grinned and wiggled a little from that alone. "It's really nice to see you both," she admitted, absently rubbing her chest with her other hand, on the right side. "I've missed you, and was worried you wouldn't come by."

"Why?" Asriel wondered, surprised by this sudden admission. It was oddly personal, and not something Alphys usually admitted to easily.

"Because of the way I got hurt, and also because I'm still hurting," she admitted, her eyes darkening a little. "I... I was worried you would somehow feel... responsible."

Frisk winced a little, and Alphys noticed, her eyes now on her.

"Well," Frisk murmured, looking at Dandelion, who looked back at her. "Yeah. I kinda do. But that's not gonna keep me from seeing you, Alphys."

Alphys looked at Asriel. "Do _you_ feel this way, too?"

Asriel hesitated, then shook his head. "No," he said softly. "I know it's not our fault. We know whose fault it is, and it's not ours - least of all Frisk's."

Alphys looked back at Frisk, who was now looking at her, looking guilty. "I never thought I'd see the day that Asriel is smarter than you, Frisk," she said flatly.

Undyne snorted out another laugh, almost choking on it. Frisk smiled a little, but Asriel blushed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You see why I've been saying something awesome came out of all of this bullshit, right?" Undyne managed to get out between laughs, waving her hand at her wife, who was blushing a little but still smiling.

"Being insulted is hardly good, let alone awesome, Undyne," Asriel sulked. Frisk leaned on him until he smiled and then relaxed, and she put her arm around him and hugged him tight.

"What I mean," Undyne added, "is that Alphy says what she means, instead of keeping it all inside. She never used to do that with anyone but me." She looked at her wife with open, honest love, and it was returned immediately. "I know it's shocking to you guys, but it's wonderful to see for me. This is the Alphy I've always known. Now you guys get to enjoy her, too."

"You make me sound like a bicycle," Alphys snorted, before sighing and picking Dandelion back up and holding her in her lap again when her daughter kept chirping at her and tugging on her legs for that reason, alone. This mollified Dandelion, who settled and leaned back onto Alphys, still eyeing Frisk and Asriel closely. "I'm sure this will eventually wear off once my body gets used to it, Undyne."

"I hope not," Undyne replied with a sharp-toothed grin. "I _love_ this. Do you know what she said to Asgore and Toriel the other day?"

"Please, Undyne...?" Alphys sighed, blushing again and lowering her head to Dandelion's.

Undyne, however, would not be deterred. "She asked them, and I kid you not, if they were still having sex, and if so, how did they manage it, and was it any good?"

Asriel stared in horror at Alphys, while Frisk was the one who dissolved into near-hysteric laughter this time, her breath getting short and just barely managed to be kept steadied, though she did fall off the couch.

Alphys was scarlet, mortified. "The worst part is that they answered," she admitted, which had Frisk crying and Asriel looking nauseated. "Candidly."

Undyne looked thrilled. "It was fucking _awesome,"_ she concluded. "Pun intended!"

"I was stoned!" Alphys protested hotly. "I had just got back from an MRI! I couldn't help it! They always need to sedate me for those things, and I was still medicated!"

"Suuure, Alphy," Undyne teased.

Alphys's eyes flashed hotly, and it that had Frisk's attention, as it was a spark of determination that lit those eyes. Suddenly, with a tenderness she felt out of nowhere, Frisk got up and went to Alphys, hugging both her and Dandelion to her as gently as she could, surprising Alphys and delighting Dandelion.

"Alphys," Frisk murmured, "I'm so happy you're okay. If this is the worst that has resulted of that horrible thing, then we're very lucky, indeed. I'd rather you ask my parents their sex positions than be hurt, still."

Alphys laughed, blushing again, but hugging back and closing her eyes. "I'm just glad it worked, too," she admitted. "And... and that it was _me."_

Frisk let go and sat back down, confused. "What do you mean?"

"The DT testing," Undyne supplied gently, giving her wife a tender look, and Alphys nodded.

"I'm glad someone remembered what I always said, that if anything happened to me that matched a hypothetical scenario we came up with in the lab, that would benefit from the use of DT, to not hesitate to use it on me, even if I couldn't say yes or no. I..."

Alphys's face fell, and she held Dandelion closer, who, instead of fussing, melted into her arms. "I'm glad it was me. If it hadn't of worked, I wouldn't of wanted anyone else to have suffered."

Her eyes lit up. "But it _did_ work!" She said, smiling. "It worked, and now it means so much!"

Frisk grinned back. "That was my first thought, too!" she agreed.

"I _was_ turning to dust," Alphys said plainly, and Undyne winced and looked away for a long time, the memories hitting her, hard. "But when they gave me that first shot, it not only stopped, but actually started to _reverse_ it, healing me from the inside out." Her eyes shone - her entire face shone, really. This was, after all, her element. "That, and... uh... one other thing... I hate to use this cliché, but it was pretty much like a miracle, you know?"

"I hate that cliché, too," Asriel agreed. "But, yeah. That's a good way to put it."

"You were _dead,"_ Undyne said suddenly, her voice thick and soft, though she was still looking away. "You had _died_ in my arms, Alphy. Of _course_ that was what it was. _Fuck_ calling it a cliché! _You were dead, Alphy!"_ Her voice broke.

Alphys gazed at her sadly, then said, gently, "Undyne, come here?"

Undyne stood up, her face averted from Asriel and Frisk, and stood beside the chair, before silently leaning down and hugging onto Alphys tight, burying her face into Alphys's shoulder.

Alphys set Dandelion back onto the floor, then reached up and hugged Undyne tight, rubbing her back and whispering something that only Undyne could hear. Undyne's shoulders shook, her hands clutching onto Alphys so hard they could see the indents they caused, but Alphys didn't flinch or pull away, but instead kept whispering, kept rubbing Undyne's back and occasionally kissed her cheek.

Then, Undyne carefully sat down on the arm of the chair, curling up as close as possible to Alphys, still hiding her face and trembling, and they could hear her breathing shakily, sometimes sobbing softly.

Frisk looked at Asriel sadly, taking hold of his hand and squeezing tight, who looked back with wet eyes.

It was easy to forget what Undyne had had to witness, when they now could see the end results despite those moments. Alphys was now strong and doing so well, but Undyne had had to _literally_ watch her _die_ and start to fade away.

Alphys said she had nightmares, but they were certain, now, that Undyne did, too.

Suddenly, two small hands touched one of Frisk's knees, and one of Asriel's, before Dandelion pulled herself to her feet and stared at them with sharp, piercing eyes, her face sombre and calculating. They stared back, surprised at this, as Dandelion rarely left Alphys's side when there was company.

"Hello," Asriel said, smiling at her. She stared at him, her eyes narrowing, before she relaxed and made a few noises at them both, noises they both nodded to. She seemed satisfied by this, and began to tug on Asriel's leg now with both hands. With a small laugh, Asriel picked her up and settled her on his lap, and she looked rather pleased.

This was a good distraction, as during this, Undyne managed to calm herself down and pull away from Alphys, who held her face between her hands and gazed up at her with concern and love. She returned the look, still in silence, before smiling faintly, a smile returned.

Again, both Frisk and Asriel seemed to have the same thought: though many years had passed, it was so easy to forget the troubles that their family had faced since breaking the barrier. During a time that was mostly spent in peace, the breaks in that peace were so powerful and immense that the scars were still raw - and permanent. Though they all tried, in their own ways, to move on from those moments, they crept on them at the worst times, unavoidable and merciless.

To see the strongest person they both knew hurt so badly by that never failed to remind them just how close it came to being the worst tragedy to ever hit them.

"Sorry, guys," Undyne said softly, turning around and staying where she was beside Alphys, though she now smiled weakly, her face red and her eye a little watery. Alphys kept an arm around her, her other hand on her knee. "Sometimes, that shit just really gets to me."

"It's really okay, Undyne," Frisk replied honestly, as Dandelion played with one of her hands. "We understand."

"Yep," Asriel agreed. "If anything, Frisk and Alphys have a ton in common, now."

Alphys laughed, shooting Frisk an amused glance. "True, true," she agreed. "We certainly have similar scars, now, don't we?"

Frisk blinked, then also laughed. "I didn't even realise!"

It was enough to divert their attention away from that still-raw pain, and finally bring the visit to a happier, more carefree place. That pain would be a cloud that would hang above them for several months - years, even - just waiting to rain on them whenever it could. But that wouldn't stop them from using their wit and love for each other to keep themselves relatively dry from it.

It ended up being a wonderful visit, one that ended up going well through dinner and into the evening.

When they were done, and had to go back home, there were many hugs and kisses exchanged, before Frisk and Asriel left to catch their bus back to New Solace.

Once on the bus, they talked again.

"Those two," Asriel said, holding Frisk to him closely, glaring at anyone who looked at them for too long. He lowered his voice and went on. "They're kind of amazing, huh?"

Frisk smiled up at him. "Yes," she agreed. "But you have to admit, our family is amazing in general. Even us."

Asriel smiled back, reaching up and brushing some of her hair behind her ear gently. "Honestly, Frisk? I'm so glad they're okay. That _we're_ okay. That we made it, survived it, and will keep going, no matter what."

Frisk cuddled into him, closing her eyes, still smiling. "Isn't that what being determined is all about?" she wondered softly.

He nodded, holding her close. That, he decided, was the best way to put it, indeed. They _were_ determined, all of them, either literally or not, and it was what kept them strong and together. If anything, by now, nothing would keep their family apart.

And that was just fine with both Frisk and Asriel.


	50. Turn Away (Heartlines)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halfway through!

Frisk couldn't sleep.

It was a week after she almost shot Carlson to death, and she found herself unable to sleep quite a lot, lately. She was only able to lie there, either staring at the wall or the ceiling, her mind going over and over again what had happened and what she had done - and almost done - and she couldn't sleep.

She did try, at first. She tried everything. She tried tea, counting backwards, even over-the-counter - then prescription - sleep aids, but nothing helped. If anything, those things left her more agitated for their lack of effectiveness, as well as merely tiring her body but not her mind, which was as awake and as bright as the sun - except with none of its warmth.

During the day, when the sun actually did come up, she found herself feeling brittle and frayed, as if she had been flipped inside-out and sanded over. Because she was both on leave and technical house arrest until she was (or wasn't) charged, she often spent the day curled up on the couch, dozing in front of the TV fitfully, only to wake up moments later after a distressing dream.

Asriel knew. He knew insomnia like an old friend, knew it better than anyone else, rivalling even sans, and he knew that his wife was consumed by it. He watched her and recognised the deep-seated pain of someone unable to escape the vibrancy of a disturbing past, one that haunted both waking and sleeping hours.

It worried him to the core, and he tried so desperately to help her. But she wouldn't let him, at all.

Every single time he tried to talk her through it, to hold her through the night, even offering to stay awake to keep her company, she would withdraw from him. He didn't understand why; when it was reversed, so many years ago, he had been so grateful that _anyone_ cared, let alone Frisk, and had latched onto those moments as if they were precious gems. But for Frisk, if anything, any gesture he made seemed to make her sadder and cause her to withdraw even further.

When she was starting into her second week of this cycle, Asriel gave up and called Toriel, taking the call outside so that Frisk wouldn't hear.

"She's not sleeping, Mom," he said softly, unable to keep the waver of worry from his voice. "She'll sometimes nap in front of the TV, but it's like the moment she realises she's done so, she wakes up again. And she won't let me help her at all."

"Hm," Toriel murmured, and her voice was a comfort to him, as always. "It sounds like our girl is punishing herself from shame."

Asriel was struck speechless by this. Put that way, it was actually rather obvious, indeed. That was of course what it was, and he suddenly felt very foolish for not seeing it sooner. "I want to help her, Mom," he said finally.

"As do I," she agreed, sounding sad, now, herself. "But she almost took a life, Asriel. For Frisk, that's not something easily shaken off. It's possible that she needs this time, that this is her way of healing."

"You... you haven't seen her in a while, Mom," he answered. "She's not eating much, either. She barely even remembers to shower or get dressed."

There was a long pause at that, and he now knew that he had his mother's attention to the fullest, and that she now understood why he was so afraid.

"Shall I come over, then?" she offered.

"Yeah," he agreed gratefully. "That would be nice."

After he hung up, he went back into the house and found Frisk still curled up where he had left her, her eyes blank and trained on the TV. On the screen was an old sitcom ( _Little Mosque On The Prairie_ ), and though it was very funny in many parts, Frisk's eyes didn't even light up. She just watched, and he wondered if she even knew what she was watching. He remembered once that she had told him it was one of her favourite shows when she was younger, and yet she looked at it like it was dead air.

Silently, he sat down next to her and curled up against her, wrapping his arms around her. She tried to move away, flinching, her expression falling to one of someone feeling trapped, but she couldn't move, so she suddenly just stayed stiff in his embrace, her teeth sinking down on her lip. The fact was, she felt that she didn't deserve his affection at all. Despite the many times he'd told her that he'd forgiven her and that he didn't blame her, she didn't believe him. She barely even believed herself.

Asriel would not be deterred, however. He stayed right at her side, keeping his arms around her, and soon, eventually, she did relax, though she made no move to shift closer or even look at him, and she still bit down on her lip.

At a commercial break, Asriel said, "Mom's gonna come by for a bit. You okay with that?"

Her eyes flashed with panic, and she shook her head, curling up into a smaller ball and going pale. She was _not_ okay with that, and she didn't want to see Toriel at all; Toriel, most of all, deserved to be spared of Frisk's company, in her opinion.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Asriel said softly. "I thought you would be. She's already on her way."

Frisk shut her eyes tight, her arms wrapping around her folded legs tighter. "Call her and tell her I'm fine," she whispered.

"I'm not lying to Mom, Frisk," he answered. "Anyway, she probably won't stay for long. So don't worry. I don't think she'll expect you to get up, okay?"

She nodded, still not looking at him, but he kissed her cheek anyway. Again she flinched, but again he stayed right where he was.

About fifteen minutes later, Asriel buzzed Toriel up, and she came in holding a big bag and wearing a bigger smile, though Asriel could tell her eyes were strained with worry.

"Hello, my boy," she greeted him with a kiss, as he took the bag - food - and set it on the counter. She lowered her voice, her eyes flicking over to Frisk, who had looked up briefly before shrinking again, looking very upset.

"Now I see why you're worried," she admitted gently. "I'm sorry. I should have come sooner."

"You're here, now," he replied gratefully, giving her a hug, and she smiled and ruffled his hair.

She then walked over and to the couch. "Hello, Frisk, dear," she said gently with a smile, sitting down next to her and placing a hand to her shoulder.

Frisk winced, but said, "Hey, Mami."

"Frisk," Toriel said again, leaning down and placing her other hand on Frisk's forehead. Frisk shut her eyes and again tried to curl smaller. "My dear, have you had anything to eat lately?"

"I dunno," she muttered, her eyes dark. "I think a few chips an hour ago. I'm not hungry. It doesn't matter. I'm fine."

Toriel raised an eyebrow, her expression turning to one of ill-amusement. "Frisk Widijanti Dreemurr, you are _lying_ to me, and I do _not_ like it," she snapped suddenly, causing Frisk to start and look up, her eyes wide. "Did I raise you to be a liar, Frisk?"

"No," was the immediate reply. Her eyes flicked to Asriel, and she looked a little panicked, but he shrugged, though inwardly he was actually feeling some relief; Frisk was showing normal emotions for once.

"Then why are you lying to me, your mother, of all people?" Toriel demanded.

"I..." Frisk started, but then she shut her mouth, looking away. She bit her lip and said nothing else.

"It's clear you haven't eaten anything in a while, so I'm going to make you something, and you're going to eat it. You just lied to me, so you're going to make amends by eating my cooking. Understand me?"

Frisk said nothing for a moment, before she looked up slowly and said, "Yes, Mami."

Toriel stood up quickly at that, marching straight to the kitchen and going to the bag she brought, beginning to unload it. Asriel watched, surprised to see all of the ingredients for Frisk's favourite foods there, and suddenly he felt immensely grateful for his mother.

"Asriel, I need help only with finding the right dishes to use. Once you've done that for me, _get out of my kitchen."_ Her eyes sparkled when she said it, and he smiled and agreed.

Once he had, he went back and sat down with Frisk again.

Soon, the apartment was full of delicious smells, and Asriel heard Frisk's stomach grumble quite eagerly. He smiled, though she didn't seem to notice it or care about it if she did.

Once she was done, Toriel set up the small kitchen table with three plates and piled the food onto them, putting far more food on one compared to the other two.

Then she said, "Frisk, get up here and eat. _Now."_

Slowly, Frisk uncurled herself and walked over, sitting down in front of the plate with the least amount of food on it. Toriel immediately swapped it with the bigger one, and Frisk sighed, looking up at her mother wearily. Toriel, however, crossed her arms over her chest and frowned, so Frisk picked up her fork and poked at the food a little.

"Frisk," Toriel said, her voice low. "Eat."

Frisk bit her lip, then started doing so. She began mechanically, as if barely tasting anything, which in fact was the truth. She felt like she was watching someone else eat, someone who was still her but not her at the same time.

It was only when her brain began to connect the food to her senses and allow her to taste them that she seemed to slip back into her own body. She ate more, and found herself enjoying what she ate, and also found that she actually was quite hungry.

Asriel and Toriel sat down once she started eating, doing the same while watching her.

Soon, however, Frisk began to cry as she ate, silently, the tears just rolling down her cheeks as she enjoyed her food. She couldn't stop them and didn't even try to. Between mouthfuls she took shaky, tearful breaths, her hands shaking, too, but she didn't stop eating.

Asriel looked at Toriel in worry, but she nodded gently and gestured for him to keep eating, himself, so he did.

In the end, Frisk cleared her plate, and she set down her fork slowly, before covering her face and bursting into sobs, hunching over the table. Asriel went to her side and pulled her close, and she latched onto him, burying her face into his shoulder, still crying hard. Toriel moved to her other side and very gently rubbed her arm.

"It's okay," said Toriel softly, and Frisk reached out and grabbed onto her hand tight. "It's alright, child."

"It's not you!" Frisk blurted out, her voice high with her tears. "It's not any of you! I'm mad at myself! I hate what I've done! What I almost did!"

"We know," Asriel murmured into her hair. "But we don't hate you. We don't even blame you."

"The thing is," Frisk went on, "I still sometimes wish I _had_ killed him anyway! That I'd shot him, and even if it meant losing myself, I don't care, because he'd be out of the world forever!" Her voice cracked on the last word, and she broke down again, hard.

"You seem to forget that I and your father wanted that, too," Toriel said. "And because of you, we didn't do something we would regret later, because I know now: we would have. The pain it would have caused you, and then later to us, would not balance out. You did the right thing, Frisk."

"Then why do I feel like I've done the _worst_ thing?!" she demanded.

"Because it _sucks,"_ Asriel broke in. "It sucks having to do the right thing and living with the consequences, especially if they end up still giving you the same problem you began with. But, listen, Frisk: this isn't the case with you. Carlson is going to jail forever. He'll never get out, now. And he has to live with what he's done until the day he dies. That's better than just killing him. Don't you think?"

"Indeed," Toriel agreed. "Imagine being forced to stay in a small room for the rest of your days, thinking about what you could have done to avoid that fate, the fate you brought on yourself by your own stupid, cowardly actions. And Frisk, that would have been you, had you shot him."

Frisk opened her eyes at that, looking up at her in surprise. She was right.

"I-I didn't even think of it that way," Frisk admitted, her voice still choked.

"Well, that's why I'm here," Toriel replied with a gentle smile, touching Frisk's wet cheek and gently brushing the tears away. Frisk smiled a little, as did Asriel.

After that, Toriel stayed for most of the evening. Frisk ended up crying a lot to both of them, being open and blunt about how and what she had been feeling and why. She made sure she was as honest as she could be, even with the ugly bits that shamed her the most. But to her surprise, they never once looked disgusted or ashamed of her. If anything, especially Asriel, they looked as if they not only understood, but also seemed to know what it was like. It was more comforting than anything else in the world.

Once Toriel left, Frisk and Asriel curled up in their bed together, Asriel holding Frisk to him tight and stroking her hair slowly. She felt exhausted, the kind that promises heavy, uninterrupted sleep, but she wasn't ready to sleep just yet, though Asriel was trying to get her to. Instead, she sat up beside him and looked down at him, her expression serious.

Asriel looked up at her, a spike of worry hitting him, but he placed a hand on her knee anyway.

"Asriel," she said. "I'm sorry for going away like I did. I... I didn't mean to."

"I know," Asriel agreed, nodding and rubbing her knee to emphasise this. "You're just in pain. I understand."

Her expression became soft and fond. "I know you do. You really do, don't you?"

"Yeah," he agreed, moving closer to rest his head on her knees now, instead of his hand. She reached down and stroked his hair slowly. "That's why I asked Mom for help. Because you weren't coming back at all."

She leaned down and kissed his cheek softly. "Thank you. I can't thank you enough."

"All I want you to do, Frisk, is to just stay with me," he admitted, his eyes filling. "Don't go away like that again. Trust me, trust that even if I don't understand completely, you can count on me, anyway, to at least try."

Frisk pressed her cheek to his and closed her eyes, nodding. He reached up and placed his hand on her head, sniffling, and she hugged him close.

"I love you, Frisk," he whispered. "I just want to help you. Let me, okay?"

"I will," she agreed. "I promise."


	51. Searching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are still tons of slots open for requests! If you have a prompt you want to see me scribble, don't forget to leave it in the comments so I can add it to my list! I have over 15 slots left! Don't be shy :3

What was it that Flowey was looking for in Frisk, really? 

It wasn't redemption, because Frisk never asked him to make up for anything he did. 

It wasn't friendship, because he knew that to even attempt that would likely cost him any semblance of that, and reveal his lies to her, costing him everything.

It wasn't revenge, because he didn't have a vendetta against Frisk; though she'd taken his power away and made him promise to stay Underground, that wasn't enough to want to hurt her.

So what was it?

Sometimes, he wished he still had the power to reset, but only so that he could redo many of the times that Frisk visited him. There were some that he particularly liked, that he found buoyed him up and wanted to experience over and over again, just to keep that feeling fresh.

Or there were times in which he'd screwed up, gotten frustrated, gotten _her_ frustrated, and said so many things he'd regret later. He'd go back, say the right things, make sure she always left happy, as best as he could.

Was that what he was after, then? 

Not to make himself happy, but to make Frisk happy? That somehow, his miserable existence as it was somehow made her happy? Was that even likely at all?

Sometimes, it seemed that way. The way she met his gaze calmly, sometimes with a smile, other times with a smirk. The way she'd laugh at his attempts to insult her. The way she'd shake him off of her arm, not even realising that he was merely trying to hug her, to try and show his real affection somehow...

Did that make her happy? Or did she see it as a weekly chore, something to get over and done with, so that she could do real work? Was he just a means to an end?

It didn't seem that way. Never. Frisk honestly seemed to enjoy most of her visits with him, no matter how many times he'd insult her. She'd usually seem to shrug it off with a smile or a laugh, or even turn it on him. The verbal sparring they usually shared was truly delightful most of the time. He couldn't see it as her acting; it wasn't like her to do that. 

So what was it that he wanted from her? What was it that he sought? Why didn't he just break the truce and do as he pleased, regardless of lost powers? 

Because every time he thought of doing so, he also had to remember that it would hurt Frisk. And the idea of hurting Frisk hurt him in his very soul. 

He would deny it. He would never admit it. He would lie about it. But never to himself.

All he was looking for was her.


	52. Hands of Fate (Delilah)

The moment he realised he had them, Asriel realised his hands didn't technically belong to him. Not completely. He realised, in many ways, he owed them to Frisk.

When he found himself in his mind with Frisk, his first instinct was to touch her - actually touch her, a hand to her shoulder, to her face, even to her hands. But she surprised him, and hugged him first.

And the moment he found his hands on her, it was unreal. It was a dream - it had to be a dream - he didn't have hands, he only had stems and vines and leaves...

But, no. He could feel her. Just like he had eight years ago, he could feel her. There was of course a strange quality to it, an unreality that came with being in your own mind, but he could still _feel._

When he woke up, all Asriel could think of was getting to Frisk, grabbing hold of her, only this time not to just hold her, but to _save_ her. And the moment he could, he pulled her into his arms and held her close, hating that she was lifeless, hating that he couldn't feel her warmth or her heartbeat or _anything..._

He knew that if he let go of her in this state, she'd be lost. And that was the last thing he would allow. Frisk had risked everything - _everything_ \- and he wasn't going to let that slip through those fingers. He wasn't going to let _her_ slip through his fingers.

Asriel loved her too much to even think about it.

He didn't even let go when it seemed like nothing had worked, and that they had lost her for good. He refused to. He wouldn't accept that Frisk was dead, after all of their work - her work - and after all that they'd done, and how far they'd become. For him, it wasn't supposed to be that way. They were supposed to be together. He didn't even care if he was going to always remain just her brother; if she was in his life, he could actually live it...

So he'd screamed for her, constantly, insulting her, pleading with her, sometimes a combination of both. He refused to stop until she started breathing again, even when Alphys was ready to give up, he refused to. 

And when Asriel felt her hand grip onto the front of his robes, suddenly he felt as if _he_ were the one that had just woken up from the dead. He grabbed her and held her close, shaking and holding her tight, barely able to believe that he was holding her at all, that his hands were holding her, were full of her, and were supporting her as she just breathed...

His hands - his life - were hers. Were their fate. And he would never, ever let go. No matter what.


	53. Irresistable (Heartlines)

If anyone had asked her before Asriel was himself, again, Frisk would have never said, "I'm absolutely attracted to goat-monsters, no question." In fact, the thought never crossed her mind growing up, and that was even with constant contact with Flowey, who used to be one. 

In fact, because of her confused feelings for Flowey, she had no idea what to make of her feelings. For the longest time, she figured that maybe she didn't even have any feelings in that regard, that any feelings that she may have had simply never grew in her or were taking their time. She never had crushes on other humans, nor did she on other monsters. 

But pretty soon, once she got used to Asriel in her life, she realised that, in fact, it seemed her type was exactly that: his. And she had had no idea until her body and heart told her so. 

At first, she judged her attraction to Asriel as something temporary, that once she got used to him being _him_ , she wouldn't have such strong feelings around him. Oh, she would always love him, certainly, but she likely wouldn't be physically attracted to him, too. 

But as time went on, and her feelings actually _grew_ rather than waned, she started to doubt that assessment, and she had to force herself to face the facts and admit the truth to herself: she was absolutely attracted to Asriel, not just emotionally, but physically, as well.

She tried to explain herself out of a corner with this, coming up with myriad reasons why, so that she could dismiss it: she grew up with monsters - his parents, of all people - so of course she was attracted to him; she was raised to think she was a monster, so of course she was attracted to him; he was the first person to see all of her sides and not run away, so of course she was attracted to him...

Pretty soon, though, Frisk realised what an idiot she was for thinking any of those thoughts. 

She was attracted physically to Asriel, and not just because she was emotionally, as well. She loved the way he looked; how tall he was, how bright his eyes were, how his hands ended in blunt claws, how his skin was covered in downy white fur. She loved his horns, his long, floppy ears, and his short tail. She loved all of him. And had she asked her young self if she could, she would have laughed herself sick at the thought.

But now, looking back many years, looking especially at him as they aged together, that desire and attraction matured, but it never went away. Growing up, she was always bemused by the fact that her parents were still so affectionate after so long, but now, older, herself, and no less affectionate with her own husband, she understood completely. The passion may have cooled a bit, and the novelty of newness was long gone, but the desire and attraction was there - it was always there. 

If anyone had asked her now if she had imagined herself with Asriel, she would have still said, "No, I never dreamt of being with a goat-monster," but she would add, with a smile, "but now I can't dream of anyone else."


	54. Easy (Make Up Your Mind)

Despite all of their fears, their countless nights spent awake with worry, their frustrations and their paranoia, when it came down to it, looking back, it was obvious: Nickname had had a wonderful time in school.

From the very start, despite the myriad hiccups of fears and scares, Nicky had practically blossomed through her school years. She even made friends the first day, friends that would last her entire life, a rare thing in itself. But she also got along with everyone, even the humans, with such ease that it amazed her parents.

A few weeks after everything settled down, Frisk and Asriel sat down with Nicky between them on the couch and smiled at her. She grinned back at them, loving the attention as well as her parents. 

"Hi!" she said happily, before either of them could say anything. As a result, they both laughed. 

"Hi, Nicky," Asriel returned, touching her cheek gently. "How are you?"

"Good, Papi!" she replied, still smiling. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," he admitted.

"Nicky," Frisk said gently, and Nicky turned to her. "How do you like school?"

"Mami, I love school so much!" she blurted out, bouncing in place a little. "I love the stuff Ehmma teaches me, and I love playing with the other kids!"

Asriel and Frisk looked at each other over her head for a moment, then looked back at her. "Nicky, has anything bad happened to you at all?" Frisk asked her gently, taking one of her hands. 

"Bad?" Nicky blinked, looking confused. "Like what happened before?"

"Well, sure," Frisk agreed. "But also if anyone has been mean to you, said things to you that hurt you?"

Nicky paused, clearly thinking about it. "I once was called a goat, I think. But then when I said that I was and I already knew that, they got confused and we played together."

Asriel burst into laughter before he could restrain himself. Frisk shot him a sharp look, but he couldn't stop. It was just... so typical, that kind of thing, for Nicky. She had been like that with any child she met before she went to school, as well. Nicky looked up at him and grinned, always happy to make her father laugh.

"It was fun!" she added. "We played tag. They won, but that was okay. It was still really fun!" She paused. "Is that what you meant?"

Frisk nodded. "Yes, something like that. Have you had anything else said to you like that, things that have hurt your feelings at all, or have struck you as just wrong to say or hear?"

Nicky shook her head. "Nope. Everyone is really nice. Or if they're not, I just walk away."

"Good," Asriel said, leaning down and giving her a hug, and she giggled. "That's the right thing to do, honey."

Frisk nodded. "Absolutely. But Nicky, if that changes, and if anyone is mean to you, let us know, okay? Or let your ehmma know."

"Of course, Mami!" Nicky agreed cheerfully, her eyes shining. 

But even that, Nicky didn't come to them with anything at all, even over several years. In fact, what they heard the most of was not of her own struggles, but of Basket's. 

"It's not _fair,"_ Nicky grumbled once at dinner, stabbing at her food with a sullen expression. Her parents looked at each other for a moment in shared worry before looking at her, and once she knew she had their attention, she went on. "What's going on at school."

"What?" Asriel asked carefully, though he held his fork tight.

"Basket," she explained, her eyes flashing. "Everyone is still so mean to her."

For a moment, both Frisk and Asriel felt two emotions: relief, and guilt from that relief, as though it wasn't their child suffering, a child close to them was suffering. nonetheless. "Are they still insulting her?" Frisk asked softly.

Nicky nodded, her frown deepening. "And," she added, her voice wavering, "the other day, someone punched her."

There was a stunned silence from her parents at that. They knew she wasn't exaggerating, as she didn't do that. So to hear that this was happening at all, let alone at Toriel's school, and to someone they cared about, was painful. 

"Did she tell someone?" Asriel asked, though now his eyes were dark, too.

Nicky nodded. "She told Ehmma and Auntie Undyne. They were really angry at each other for a while. Why, I don't know. They should be mad at the kid that punched her." She looked up. "Why do they even do that? Why would they hurt her? They've been doing it ever since she came to the school, but why?"

Asriel was silent, just as bemused, but Frisk answered, her eyes hard. "Sometimes," she said softly, "for no reason, one kid out of all of them gets targeted. It's as if all the kids conspire to make their life a living hell, though the reason is, I'm sure, not even known to them. But there is always at least one kid who suffers at the hands of everyone else."

"Frisk," Asriel said softly, reaching over and touching her hand lightly, but she wasn't done. 

"What you can do, Nicky, is keep being Basket's friend," she told her daughter. "For as long as you can, keep being her friend. Make sure she knows that at least one person loves her and has her back. Sometimes, just one person makes all the difference."

Nicky stared at her mother closely, before she nodded slowly. "Okay," she said. "I will. That's not a problem, anyway; I love Basket. She's like my sister."

Frisk smiled, and Nicky seemed to relax a little. "Good," Frisk said. "Make sure she knows that, too."

That night, when they were lying in bed, and Frisk had thought Asriel was asleep, she suddenly heard him say, very gently, "That was you, wasn't it?"

Frisk was silent for a while, and for a moment Asriel thought she was asleep, already. But soon, she turned over and faced him. "Yes," she said softly. "It was me."

Asriel bit his lip, reaching up and touching her cheek gently, and she sighed. "I knew," he said. "I mean, we've talked about this before, but... I think this is the first time you've told Nicky."

She nodded and kept her eyes closed. "Except I never got a friend," she admitted, her voice wavering a little. "I was... mostly alone. Even the teachers didn't really like me. And after I fell, it was only when I changed schools that I started to get along with some of the kids - sorta. And even then..." She sighed. "I'm pretty sure they only were nice because they knew I was Toriel's kid."

"Why didn't you tell me, Frisk?" he asked. "If I had known, even the way I was, I could have come to visit you, or scared the shit out of those asshole kids."

Frisk opened her eyes and smiled. "That's why I never told you, because it would have broken the deal..." She hesitated, her smile fading. "And because... I was afraid. I was afraid they'd hurt you, too. I wanted you to be safe."

Asriel was disheartened by this. "I would have made it part of the deal," he said. 

"Asriel," she replied, smiling again. She reached up and touched his face with both of her hands. "You did help me, you know. In your own way. I always considered you a kind of friend, a challenging one, but still a friend. And especially after I fell, I knew I wasn't alone. So it's okay."

"I just wish you hadn't suffered," he murmured, his eyes wavering. 

"Me, too," she agreed. "But I'm just glad Nicky isn't."

He pulled her close, and they hugged, tight - even after they fell asleep.

Quite happily, even through her university schooling, Nicky was spared any horrific abuse, and Frisk was relieved. There were many things that she wanted Nicky to inherit from her, but that was definitely not one of them.


	55. Breathing (Heartlines)

There were many nights at the beginning of their living together that Asriel spent awake, not from the usual insomnia, but from something else completely: he listened to make sure that Frisk was still breathing.

He was afraid that she would stop, at any time. He was oddly afraid that she would, despite the fact that there were absolutely no reasons why she would. It took him months to shake that fear.

Only to have it return two years later, after Frisk got shot.

That first night they came home, Asriel stayed up most of the night, holding her close to him and making sure she stayed sitting up in her sleep. She was sleeping so heavily that she didn't even notice, and he was relieved. He was worried about her lung collapsing again somehow, or her medication making her stop breathing, or _anything_ , really. He didn't get more than an hour's sleep that first night, but he was fine with that; if it meant she stayed breathing, he would stay up for weeks if he needed to.

It only got worse from there, but he managed to make up his lost sleep during the day, with Frisk not noticing at all - another added bonus. 

Several years would pass before he shook this fear enough to sleep through the night completely. It got easier as she recovered more, but since there were lasting effects that Frisk would have to deal with for life, he never shook it forever. 

Especially since, once, his fear came to pass. 

It was several years after Nicky left home, and everything was fine. Frisk had actually had a good - if busy - day, and they both went to bed quite happy. Asriel, however, for the first time in a long time, suddenly felt the urge to stay up and watch over her as she slept, anyway. He didn't know why, but he learned - especially the older her got - to always trust his intuition.

About two hours after she fell asleep, Asriel suddenly felt a jolt to his gut, and his eyes snapped open. He held his breath - and didn't hear Frisk. Immediately, his heart racing, he grabbed hold of her shoulder and shook her, gently at first, until panic got the better of him and he shook her a little harder. "Frisk! Get up! Frisk!" He rolled her onto her back, leaned down, and pressed his ear against her chest. Her heart beat, but still, no breathing. She wasn't even choking - there was just... no breathing.

Asriel tilted her head back, his mind going back to what Asgore had taught him a few days after Frisk was shot, and he leaned down and breathed into her mouth, plugging her nose as he did. He paused, listened again, then did it a second time, then a third.

After his fourth try, Frisk then coughed, her hands reaching up as if trying to fight him off, her next breath a long, broken gasp. Asriel held her steady as she calmed, her eyes open and wide with sudden terror, and it took her a long time to stop. She stared up at him as she tried to slow down both her breathing and her heart, focusing on his face to reassure herself that she was safe. Her fingers dug into his arms hard, and he nodded slowly.

"You're okay," he whispered. "You're alright."

Frisk stared at him, finally calming down. "What... what...?" she asked. 

"You stopped," he said softly, unable to keep a waver from his voice. "You just... stopped."

"Asriel, I'm... sorry. I'm so... thank you... I'm sorry... I'm..." Frisk looked ready to panic, so he moved closer and pulled her close, stroking her hair slowly, and she clung onto him, shaking. _"Thank you,"_ she kept saying, over and over again into his shoulder, and each time he nodded, his eyes closed tight. 

He knew he could be paranoid and overprotective. He knew he probably fussed too much and worried too much. But he also knew that if he were none of those things, he would have lost her that night, without even knowing it until morning. And he would rather overdo it and keep her, than be a careless fool and lose her. 

After that night, it took him several months to sleep all the way through the night. Frisk was also rather shaken by the ordeal, and remained close to him as best as she could, having trouble going to sleep, as well. But soon, their fears were met with silence, and they were able to finally go back to normal, restive sleep.

It never happened again. But neither would ever forget that it had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I don't know why I've suddenly been writing so much sad, lately. I promise I will do better for the next prompt x_x. Sorry.
> 
> And before you ask, yes, this happened to me. It's fucking terrifying. If you have a health condition that affects your breathing, try your best to either not sleep alone, or invest in a CPAP. The money spent is worth it if you live through the night, okay?


	56. Stumble (All This And Heaven Too)

Sometimes, Frisk liked to equate her love for Asriel with the fall she took to the Underground.

Granted, the first time he heard this, he was insulted. They were in bed, about to go to sleep, when she told him rather happily. He was less enthused. "You love me the same way you jumped down into what you thought was your _death?!"_ he demanded the first time she told him.

She glared at him, which instantly confused him; shouldn't _he_ be the one indignant in this situation? "Asriel, if I hadn't jumped, none of this - us - would have ever happened."

"It's still a shitty metaphor!" he insisted. "Stop using it! Especially around sans; the other day he used it against me."

"How?" 

"Exactly the way it sounds. 'frisk fell to her death and into the arms of a weed. i wonder which outcome would have been worse?' That's what he said, Frisk!"

Frisk now glowered at the wall. "I'm going to punch his stupid lights out," she answered. "That's not what I mean at all when I say it."

"Explain it to me, then, because I have no idea what you mean."

Frisk eyed him closely, then turned to him and grabbed one of his hands. His expression softened, and she smiled. "When I say it, I mean it to mean that I took a risk, and my risk was rewarded. The ground literally vanished from beneath my feet; I fell right in front of you after a long tumble, and you caught me - however your intentions may have been, you still caught me, _so stop making that stupid face_ \- and in a way, you never let go. _That's_ what I mean."

"Like that dumb human expression that makes no sense? 'Head-over-heels in love'?" Asriel wondered, wrinkling his nose. He never understood that expression; humans always had their heads over their heels, so how was it a big deal to fall in love that way? Wouldn't it make more sense if it was 'heels-over-head in love', implying being swept off of their feet?

"Yep," Frisk agreed, nodding; she shared his confusion of the phrase. "I literally fell into your life, and you never let me go. It took me ages to figure it out, but that's a kind of love - or at least, if it didn't start that way, it certainly ended up that way."

Asriel considered this. "I guess that kind of makes sense. But I wanted to kill you when you jumped, Frisk."

"Yeah, and I thought you would be better as mulch," she replied cheerfully, something he made a face at. "I'm just saying, looking back, that's how I see it."

Asriel blinked at her for a moment. "You know, I sometimes forget just how much of an optimist you are, until you manage to make our first meeting into something like a precursor to true romance."

"I'm taking that as a compliment," she decided, leaning over and resting her head on his lap with a grin, looking up at him. Her eyes glinted with mirth, and he couldn't help but grin back, leaning down and kissing her gently, something she returned quite eagerly. 

"Frisk?" he murmured between kisses, her hands now on his face. When she nodded and opened her eyes, he added, "I like your take on it, better. I'm sorry."

"Shush," she replied with a grin, pulling him back down to her and kissing him again. This time, neither pulled away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Better? :3


	57. Fighting (All This And Heaven Too)

Once, when Frisk was crashing at Alphys and Undyne's place during a particularly bad spat between her and Asriel, she asked them what the secret was to a fightless marriage.

They both looked at her, then at each other, before bursting into laughter. And not just regular laughter, but loud, deep, straight-from-the-belly laughter, described better as guffaws. They laughed so hard that Alphys fell to the floor and Undyne started crying.

Frisk was less amused. She glared at them both, her arms crossed over her chest. "I'm serious!" she snarled. "This fight was terrible! I had to leave! If I stayed, I know I would have thrown something at him!"

"What the hell do you two even fight about?" Undyne gasped out. "You two are perfect for each other!"

Frisk blushed deeply. "Nevermind that!" she answered. There was no way she was going to admit that the reason for their biggest blow-out so far was over laundry. "Just tell me how you two manage to work things out! You're the ones that are perfect!"

"Can't... breathe...!" Alphys managed from the floor. Undyne slipped down to her side and pulled her back onto the chair, and she gasped, still laughing, but at least now it was getting quieter and less... insulting.

"First of all, there's no such thing as a fightless marriage. Get that in your head above all else and you'll do a lot better. Now. You wanna know how _we_ work out our differences, punk?" Undyne wondered. "You _sure?"_

"Yes!" Frisk answered hotly.

Alphys finally swallowed the last of her laughs and looked up at Undyne, who shrugged and grinned. Together, they stood up, stood a few feet apart, and summoned up a weapon, each, facing off on each other.

Frisk stared, slowly edging back and away from them, suddenly very worried. "What are you doing?!" she demanded, her voice cracking in panic.

Alphys smirked at her, while Undyne lunged forward and swung her spear towards Alphys. Alphys jumped into it and held her staff up and parried her blow with a small grunt, then pushed her back. Undyne caught her footing and dipped down, aiming her spear towards Alphys's knees. Alphys snorted and easily jumped up and out of the way, swinging her staff to block it for added measure.

"Seriously, what the hell are you doing?!" Frisk cried.

"Fighting," Alphys replied. "We solve our problems with sparring. We can fall as many times as we want, but whoever loses control over their magic first loses." She darted forward and tried to wrest Undyne's spear from her hands with her staff, but Undyne simply matched her moves and made her dizzy, instead. She staggered back, just barely parrying Undyne's next lunge, but the damage was done; the force of the blow shattered her concentration, and her staff vanished. Undyne cheered, and Alphys shrugged. "And I would lose," she concluded a little breathlessly, going back to the chair and slumping down onto it.

"Fighting," Frisk repeated, truly spellbound by this. "By sparring?"

Undyne nodded, her spear vanishing, and she moved and sat down right on Alphys's lap on the chair, causing Alphys to cough a little but still hold her close. "I think there have only been two times this method hasn't worked," she said honestly. "And those were pretty serious topics. Anything else, solved."

"But..." Frisk tugged on her bangs in frustration. "I don't have magic!"

"So think of another way you two can spar," Alphys offered. "But really, don't run away, Frisk. It only makes it worse for both of you. Trust me, I know."

* * *

When she got home, Asriel immediately met her at the door, his face drawn with worry. She felt bad, especially since she knew it was genuine and not meant to manipulate her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she agreed, reaching forward and taking his hand gently. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't of run away. I just went to Alphys and Undyne's, mostly for advice."

Asriel hesitated, then very carefully moved to embrace her. She hugged him first, and he relaxed, hugging onto her tight. "You scared me," he admitted. "Please, don't run away, please?"

"I know," she said, feeling ashamed, now. "I won't. I'm so sorry, Asriel."

He nodded. "Me, too."

As it turned out, he did the laundry while she was gone, which only served to make her feel worse, but she didn't pick another fight about it. Instead, she spent the night both making it up to him as well as thinking of a way to spar for them both.

* * *

It took her two weeks to finally figure it out. And it was over dishes.

She was about to say something she would regret when suddenly, it came to her, so clear that she paused and grinned. It would have made Asriel even more mad, but she then said, "We're gonna fight the right way, Asriel." She stared right into his eyes. "We'll settle this the way you and I were always destined to settle fights. Come with me."

Bemused, but intrigued, he followed her into the living room. In complete silence, she fussed for a moment, then tossed him a console controller, grabbing one for herself. Before he could say a word, she turned the console on and said, "Two out of three, whoever wins, wins the argument." She turned to him with a grin, and suddenly he returned it with a determined nod.

In the end, it doesn't matter who won that first argument. What mattered was what came of it, and that was a calm, mostly painless method of solving their most heated arguments. Granted, the truly serious ones were not dealt with that way, but the ones that could be, were, and it worked every time.


	58. Closing In

There was something intrinsically fascinating about stalking Frisk, as she made her way through the Underground. 

Flowey still wasn't sure what kind of person she was, yet. In his mind, he still called her Chara, not really caring at all what her real name was. It didn't matter to him at the time, so Chara she was. She looked so much like his dead sister/best friend/soulmate/co-soul that it didn't matter, anyway. He could easily blur the lines.

He stayed close to her, always making sure that he was close enough to hear everything as well as see everything. He wanted to know if it were possible to somehow figure out if she would be the one to manipulate things, to be able to find some way to make the Underground finally change.

He watched her struggle at times, watched her trying to figure out what the right thing was to do. She especially struggled over Toriel, who, for all her intents and purposes, wasn't exactly acting very unassuming or lacking suspicion. He was amazed by that; what was his mo-- Toriel thinking, acting that way? Didn't she know how suspicious she seemed?

But once she figured out that Toriel wouldn't hurt her, even when initiating a fight, this new Chara suddenly didn't fight anymore - and Toriel let her go. He was so amazed that he called her out on it, taunted her, even gave her hints about what she would likely face should she continue down the path she was starting. But she merely brushed him off, saying nothing, looking angry at him but still determined to do things her way.

It was very fascinating. So he kept watching her, this time not revealing himself - not directly. Oh, he would sometimes manipulate Papyrus, appealing to his ego, even when he knew that sans had caught on to him (yet he did nothing; lazy as usual, it seemed). But even with his goading, Papyrus couldn't kill this Chara, and in the end, she apparently couldn't kill him. Instead, they became friends.

Flowey was growing a little irritated. He could tell that she had it in her to be merciless, so what was she waiting for?

When it became clear that she would soon face Undyne, Flowey was finally excited. There was no way - no way at all - that this Chara could possibly face Undyne without fighting back. The Captain practically begged for it. 

But, no. Again, though she at first seemed to struggle with indecision about Undyne, about whether or not she should - or even could - strike her down, she chose to run, instead. To run away. Like a coward. Except that Flowey knew that she wasn't a coward - he could see it in her eyes. She was _choosing not to fight_ , when she could clearly do so, and do so well.

From there, it was clear to him that she wasn't going to fight at all, and he stopped expecting it. Instead, he watched her think, watched her continue to ponder her way out of impossible situations to avoid the very prospect of having to hurt anyone. And the fascinating thing was that she managed it. She didn't always do it perfectly, and sometimes forgot and did strike out, but once she collected her thoughts and calmed her nerves, still she stayed her hand. 

It was only when he heard that damned doctor tell her that she had to kill Asgore that he started to get excited again. It was true. If this Chara wanted to leave, she had to kill Asgore. She _had_ to. And judging from the expression on her face, she was set on leaving. 

So he watched her. And while she tried her best to not fight him at first, to try and beg him to stop, to even use his ex-wife's cooking against him, nothing would stop the King from either killing - or being killed. So Flowey watched her cry as she struck him, hating every second of it, but knowing that she had to do it to be free.

Except... when he was one hit away, she stopped. She pulled back. And when he asked her to kill him, she refused, still weeping. Flowey was awestruck by this. She was trapping herself! Didn't she know that?

So he did the only thing he could do to finally make this right - for everyone.

He killed his father. Stole the souls. And moved in to kill her.


	59. Involved (Too Heavy A Burden)

Asriel was, needless to say, very overprotective of Frisk, now that they were formally together.

When it came out in the open that they were a couple, and that he would also be helping her with her duties for as long as she needed it, suffice to say, it didn't go to well. Those who already had a problem with Frisk didn't take to him being at her side, however unobtrusively he was. 

To be honest, he kind of liked the fact that he annoyed them. He enjoyed making them uncomfortable, especially Carlson, the one who gave Frisk the hardest time. He especially loved it when he managed to fluster the asshole into silence whenever he was right about something.

At first, Frisk was a little frustrated, afraid that it made her look weak, though deep down she did appreciate the fact that he was there for her. After one especially heated argument between Asriel and Crombie, Frisk admitted her worries to him once they got back to Solace.

He blinked at her. "But, Frisk, we're partners," he said, touching her cheek softly. She closed her eyes; she loved it when he touched her, loved the feel of him able to do so without any hesitation or worry, after such a long time of keeping it all in. "It's my pleasure to defend you."

She opened her eyes. "I just worry they'll see me as weak, like I can't be a politician without you."

"Do you want me to stop?" he wondered. 

"No," she said honestly, surprising herself. "Just... make sure I can't say it myself before you break it, I suppose?"

"Haven't I been doing that?" he wondered. 

"Kinda?" She winced when his expression fell a little. "You sometimes jump in at the slightest whiff of trouble." She paused. "I know! We can come up with a signal, so that when I can't handle it, you know for sure!"

Asriel smiled at her suddenly, making her heart race. "You're always good at solving puzzles, aren't you? What kind of signal?"

She thought about it. "I'll do this." She reached up and pushed her bangs off of her forehead, keeping her hand there. "If I do it quickly, don't jump in, but if I keep my hand here, like this, jump in."

"Sounds good," he agreed.

And it did work, to her pleasant surprise. Asriel had a short fuse, but he also knew how to hone it into a deadly edge if he needed to, and he certainly did that when he was needed. Frisk didn't have to use the signal as often as she thought she would, but when she did, Asriel helped her to his utmost ability. He didn't do it in a way to make her seem like a damsel in distress, but rather, as someone who was clearly being ignored while telling the truth and it was ridiculous. He was there to remind them that it wasn't just about humans, and as a monster, he had a right to his say, too - and, in turn, all monsters, as well. Every time he spoke, he brought this point home.

Frisk came to value his input very much, to the point that it made her hug him tightly every time they left City Hall, for longer each time. She was so grateful for him, and even more grateful that they were together, facing this just like he said: as partners.

"Asriel," she murmured into his shoulder once. "You're so amazing. I don't know why you do the things you do for me, but I'm so lucky you do."

"Are you that stupid?" he teased softly, holding her close. "I do this because I love you, and I want you to succeed. Plus, it's really fun."

She laughed, and arm-in-arm, they went home. It truly marked a promising future, indeed.


	60. Destiny (Heartlines)

"Asriel, do you believe in destiny?"

Frisk's question caught him so off-guard that he blinked and was speechless, only capable of staring at her. She blushed, bright red, redder than she already was, and looked away, lowering her head into his shoulder to hide her face. "Never mind," she added hastily. "I'm probably just being post-coital."

"Frisk," he sighed. "Don't do that." She shrugged, not looking up, so he continued. "Remember when we talked about things like an afterlife, and all of that?" She nodded. "Well, I kinda see it that way. I have no idea if it's real or not, but I'm nowhere near as close-minded as I once was."

She hesitated, her hands gripping onto his arm tighter. "I... Asriel, I think _I_ do," she admitted, still hiding her face. "With all that's happened between us, between everyone else, with the Underground and the surface, and with Chara being my great-aunt..." She winced, feeling childish. "I can't think of it as anything else _but_ destiny. Please don't think I'm stupid."

"Why the hell would I think you're stupid?" he demanded, rolling over so that she had to move away from his shoulder, turning to face her. She was still blushing, looking angry about it, too. He cupped her hot face between his hands and smiled gently. "You're allowed to believe whatever the hell you want."

"I know," she admitted. "I just... what you think means a lot to me, and I don't want you to think of me as someone stupid and full of childish fancies."

Asriel hesitated. "Look, Frisk, you know everything about me." She opened her mouth to protest, but he knew she would and he covered her mouth to silence her. "No, shut up, you do. You know me better than anyone else, even my parents. So you should know by now that I'd never think that of you."

Frisk pulled his hand away, keeping hold of it. "But destiny is so... romance-novel," she said. "And yet even though I know that, there are just way too many coincidences that have happened that could be anything but destiny. Except that it's such a stupid concept, you know? You can't change your fate, yet if you can't, then why would you be told of it? Is it your fate to change your fate? Is that why I jumped?"

Asriel felt dizzy just listening to her. He couldn't imagine how thinking these thoughts must have actually felt. "Frisk, really, it's okay."

"I think about Carlson a lot," she blurted out, her eyes blazing, now. "I think about that gun. I think about Nicky and her vision. Was it destiny for me to kill him that day, but because she knew it, she stopped it? Or was it destiny for her to stop me, and I would never have killed him, no matter what?" She shut her eyes, pulling his hand up to her cheek. "I really think it was something like that."

Asriel stroked her cheek gently, making her relax a little. "Yeah," he said softly. "Put that way, it really does seem to be fated, doesn't it? Nicky sees things that always happen. Is it her seeing them that puts them into motion, or are they unchangeable and that's why she sees them?"

 _"Exactly!"_ Frisk's eyes opened and she nodded, gripping onto his hand tight. "It keeps me up at night, sometimes, thinking about this."

"I can tell," he replied gently, smiling a little. He had to admit, it was hard to ignore all that she said, especially when bringing their daughter into it.

"I know it's silly," she sighed. "But I've said it. I believe in destiny, Asriel. And it's mostly because of you."

That threw him. "Me?" he echoed, confused.

"Yeah," she agreed. "You were the first one I met in the Underground. You were, at that moment, the catalyst to my fate. In a way, you set everything into motion. From then on, we were forever tied together, no matter what. Even if you had never gotten your form back, and stayed Flowey, I would've always come to see you, until one of us died."

Asriel stared at her. He hadn't known that. He figured that she would have given up eventually, probably once she was an adult and had moved out on her own, started her own family, and had to forget about him. He had had no idea that she was sincere about the "til death" part of their contract. Yet he could tell that she was, and would have remained so, had sans not attacked and killed her.

Was that fate, too? Had that attack been part of their destiny, as well?

"And now, here we are," Frisk continued, smiling at him, touching her bare feet to his. "Married, with a grown daughter, successful in what we do... None of this would have happened if I hadn't jumped, and if you hadn't of caught me."

"Or if Chara hadn't of led you to the hole in the mountain," he added, his eyes wide, now. She nodded, sending a strange kind of thrill through him.

She was right. Everything was intricately connected. Everything had started with that one jump, and had ended up being one of the most fulfilling things in both of their lives.

"Holy shit," Asriel whispered, startling her. "Frisk." His eyes met hers. "You're right. It's... not coincidence. It's gotta be destiny."

She blushed deeper, but her eyes shone. She nodded, leaning close and kissing his nose gently. "That's what I think," she admitted. "But you don't have to pretend to, as well, just to please me."

"I'm not," he said. "I actually can't see it any other way, now. Holy shit." It was true, after all, and he never lied to Frisk, especially when it came to their relationship. "Holy fucking shit!"

She laughed, moving close to him and curling herself against his body, pressing her hot cheek to his chest and closing her eyes. "Asriel, I love you. I'm glad I jumped."

"Don't say that!" he protested, and she laughed again, hugging him tight. Yet again, if he thought about it, he realised that he was, too. He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead, closing his eyes.

She sighed deeply, relaxing against him. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah," he agreed. "I do. And I guess I am, too. But don't take that the wrong way, okay?"

"Of course I won't!" Frisk looked up at him and wrinkled her nose at him with a grin, and this time he laughed, hugging her tight.

Even if it wasn't fate or destiny, he knew: given the chance, he would have done it all over in the exact same way, if it meant ending up like this in the end.


	61. Sweetest (All This And Heaven Too)

It had taken him all day, but it was finally done. He stared at it, his tongue sticking out, using a fingertip to carefully smooth out a part that wasn't as smooth as he'd liked, then stepped back and looked at it again. There. It was perfect.

For an entire week, Asriel had worked hard to make this a reality. He'd begged Toriel for help - not for her to do it, but to teach _him_ how to do it. She almost insisted on doing it herself after the first few tries were... well... _disgusting_ , but he insisted that it had to be him, so she gave in, and they kept at it until he'd perfected it.

And now, as a result, he now had the perfect result in front of him. He grinned, scratching at his cheek a little, not noticing it was powdered from both flour and sugar. He was too happy to care, anyway.

It didn't take long for Frisk to come home, and by then he was on the edge of his seat, eager for her to get home. She came in looking frustrated, but the moment he jumped into view and held up the fruit of his labours, she softened and smiled. 

"Asriel," she murmured. 

He grinned. Between his hands, he held a chocolate cake. "Happy anniversary!" he replied. 

She walked up to him, a hand reaching out, her eyes wavering and her smile huge. He grinned at her, and her hand touched his powdery cheek. "You're so sweet," she said softly, leaning forward and kissing him. 

"Ah," he replied coyly. "But not as sweet as this cake. Try some!"

Frisk nodded, shrugging off her coat and setting her bag down, about to go past him to the kitchen, but he stopped her - quite abruptly and almost to the point of her falling over - when he grabbed a handful and shoved it into her mouth, laughing.

She paused, chewing it for a moment, before blinking and smiling, her eyes closing. When she swallowed, she said, her eyes opening, "That's amazing! You made that?!"

"Yes!" he agreed, unable to help the fact that his tail was wagging almost at a blurry speed. He was proud of himself, but also proud of himself and Frisk - and the fact that they had reached two years together. 

Frisk leaned over, took hold of his hand, and brought it to her mouth, surprising him. Slowly, her eyes on his, she licked along each finger, her tongue moving along each joint that was covered in any cake residue, sometimes even sucking down on the tips of his fingers in order to get them clean. By the time she was done, he was scarlet, and his eyes were wide, the blood long gone from his brain and centred elsewhere.

When she pulled away, she said, leaning close, "Let's celebrate, shall we?" Her voice was husky, and he swallowed hard. He moved to put the cake down, but she stopped him, her eyes glinting.

"No, no, my love," she added, her smile almost feral, now. "Bring that, too."


	62. Calling (Hiding)

When it came to phones, Frisk didn't really like them too much. She liked texting, and liked using them for the internet, but she didn't like actual calls too much. She felt awkward and silly at times, and usually ran out of things to say quickly.

These issues, however, were never a problem once Asriel came into her life. He _loved_ calling Frisk, loved chatting with her for as long as possible, at any given moment. Even though they lived together, that didn't stop him from calling at least once a day, just to chat about silly things. 

It genuinely confused her. 

"Howdy!" he said once, having caught her just as her lunch break started. "How are you?"

Frisk smiled, despite herself. He sounded so happy, it was hard to not feel the same way. "I'm okay. The meetings are slow today. And annoying. How are you doing?"

"Well, I managed to scare the shit out of at least four kids today," he replied proudly. "All I had to do was stare at them and hold up my shovel. Kids are really stupid, aren't they?" He laughed, and she ended up doing the same, the sound contagious.

"Why do you love to torment them, so?" she wondered.

"Torment?" he echoed in disbelief. "I'm not tormenting them! I'm making them stronger! If they get afraid of me, then they need to toughen up! Do I look like someone to be afraid of?"

"No," she agreed easily. "But I'm also a special case, don't you think?"

He laughed again, a touch shyly, and it made her smile. She loved making he feel that way, loved reminding him that she loved him and adored him, even in a silly conversation like this. 

"So, what do you have left to do today?" he wondered.

"I have a meeting with Council, then I go Underground to check on everyone there. How's Nicky? Have you seen her yet, today?"

"Who do you think sent me the kids to scare?" he replied with a laugh. Frisk laughed, too; that was so like their daughter. "She's doing great. You don't have to worry so much, sweetie."

"I worry all the time, about her." She hesitated. "About you..."

"Me?" He sounded genuinely bemused at that. "Don't worry about me! I have shovels!"

She smiled, her eyes stinging. She loved him so much at that moment, that there were truly no words. 

Another time, she had sent him a text message after a particularly frustrating meeting: _"I hate everyone and I wish I could explode people with my mind."_

Almost immediately, Asriel called her. "Frisk," he said before she could even say hello, "talk to me."

"You didn't have to call," she grumbled, feeling embarrassed, now, as if caught in a temper-tantrum. 

"Yes, I did, you idiot," he answered. "Talk. Now."

She hesitated, then did, and all in one go. She blurted out her frustrations from the day, how nothing seemed to matter no matter how hard she worked, and how the system seemed rigged from the get-go to spoil everything she ever did. By the time she was done, she was crying quietly, but she also felt a little better. 

"Frisk," he said, once he was sure she was done.

"Yeah," she replied flatly.

"I love you, okay? You're doing the right thing."

Frisk closed her eyes, her grip on the phone tightening. "Thank you," she whispered. It was exactly what she needed to hear, but the best part was that she knew that it was also sincere. 

For years, though she still hated making phone calls, Frisk loved getting them, but only from Asriel. Asriel had a way with words, a way with speaking, that always set her at ease and made her forget that she was even on the phone in the first place. She loved it, loved him, and would always cherish and value each call he made to her. 

She would always, just like from the very beginning, answer his call.


	63. Nightmare (All This and Heaven Too)

The tables were turned, and it was Frisk who was caught in a nightmare. This was very unusual, as, of the two, Asriel was the one haunted by his past the most. But what he didn't know - because she never told him - was that she had many, many nightmares; this was simply the first one to become so intense to be noticed.

And Asriel noticed. He woke up almost right away, not just from her twitching in her sleep, but also crying out, the sounds so pained that it hurt him just to hear them. Quickly, he moved to her side and pulled her into his arms, turning her around to face him. That action alone woke her, as he knew it would, and she clung onto him tight, burying her face into his chest and trembling so hard he felt it through his whole body, as if he were the one shaking. She inhaled sharply, but when she exhaled, it was a sob, and in that, he knew that the nightmare had been very bad, indeed.

"You're safe," he whispered, emphasising the remark with a kiss to her sweaty forehead. "You're safe, and not alone. I'm right here."

"Asriel," she whispered into his chest, her voice muffled but no less choked. "Oh, god, Asriel. It... it was too real..."

"What was it?" he asked gently, starting to stroke her hair softly. She melted into his embrace, her fingers digging into his back hard, but instead of answering, she shook her head. There was no way she could properly describe the horror she had seen, the horror that felt far to real because it almost had been.

All that mattered to her, at that moment, was that she was holding Asriel, and that he was holding her. There was nothing else, nothing that mattered, nothing that _could_ matter to her. To have to see everything and everyone she loved so forcibly removed from her - torn from her while she screamed, while she fought, while she begged - was too much to bear. Now that she was awake, and holding onto proof that it was just a nightmare, and that Asriel was, in fact, safe, she wasn't going to let go. She moved closer, burying her face into his neck, now, instead, her legs going around his waist and her body slowly pushing him over and onto his back.

Surprised, Asriel held her close and moved with her, so that she was straddling atop him and clinging to him tight, still weeping just a little, still sniffling the tears that remained. "Frisk," he whispered, stroking her hair behind her ears gently and lifting her face to his, holding his palms over her hot cheeks. "It's okay. I'm right here."

She bit her lip and nodded. Slowly and very deliberately, she pushed her body against him, her legs squeezing hard around his waist, and he inhaled sharply, his eyes widening. She needed him. She needed him so badly, there were no words to convey just how much - just action. Her hands reached up and tangled into his hair, then grabbed onto his horns, not roughly, but firmly enough to cause him to close his eyes. Again, she shifted against him, her head moving away from his neck, her cheek nuzzling against his. His arms went around her waist and held her close, gasping as she rubbed right against him in just the right way.

"Asriel," she whispered. "Please, I want you. Please?"

In reply, he moved his face over and kissed her lips, hard, his fingers digging into her back and his tongue already licking her lips apart. She closed her eyes, heat spiking so hot and sweet into her that she grinded against him, and he let out a muffled gasp, returning it and causing her to gasp instead. Her hands snaked down to his waist and started tugging on his pyjama bottoms, and they pulled apart only long enough to get undressed and fully naked. The moment they were, Frisk was back on top of him and grinding against him again, her body feeling so hot that it surprised him, but no less aroused him.

They kissed again, and Frisk grabbed hold of him and rolled them both over, so that he was on top of her. She hooked her legs around his waist again and her arms around his neck, and he moaned softly, reaching down to push himself into her. She arched back once he was inside, her eyes closing and her face going pink, and he closed his eyes as well, placing his forehead on her chest for a moment and just... not moving - only feeling. There were no thoughts, no words - just feeling.

"Frisk," he whispered, raising his head. She did the same, her eyes opening and meeting his, and he stared at her, seeing so much in her face: lingering pain, desperation, and intense love - so much love. He knew, seeing that, that he didn't need to say anymore, so he instead shifted closer, wrapping his arms around her and holding her to him, before he started to move his hips slowly. She clung to him, burying her warm face into his shoulder and biting down a little, her nails digging into his back and her legs tightening around his waist, meeting him thrust for thrust.

For a while, they were almost silent as they moved, their strokes so slow that it was breathtaking, as if adding any words or sounds would mar that feeling of connection. All Frisk could feel and think about was Asriel - this Asriel, the Asriel alive and with her, the Asriel who was her husband - and those thoughts had the power to render her speechless with their truth. To love Asriel, to make love with Asriel, was a dream, but a real one that she actually got to experience. She felt so much all at once that her heart ached a little, and she clung even tighter.

"Asriel," she then whispered, her breath catching in the middle of his name, her voice so soft that he almost didn't hear it. He opened his eyes and looked down at her, and she was looking up at him, her eyes hazy and her face red. "Don't let go of me," she demanded, a demand that she barely needed to say; he wasn't going to let go of her anytime soon, not unless she asked.

"Oh, god," she then moaned, her eyes glazing over before closing, her head falling back onto the pillow, her whole body tightening around him. He could feel it, then, feel her muscles pull and grab at him, feel her going hotter and wetter than she already was, and he slowed his pace so that they both could draw it out. She moaned out again, arching her back, her nails digging into his back, and with clenched teeth she came, so hard he felt it, and he had to shut his eyes and try to hold back until she was done, it was that intense.

When she relaxed a little, Asriel was already done for. It was too much, seeing and feeling her come without having to do the same, and he clutched her close to him as he thrust into her hard, growling out softly as his own orgasm coursed through him. Frisk buried her face into his shoulder, holding onto him tight and moving with him a little so that they both enjoyed a bit of aftershock.

Then, they were still, and they relaxed, gasping for breath and shaky. Asriel rested his head on her chest, listening to her heart racing, one hand reaching up to stroke her hair slowly from her sweaty face. Frisk's eyes were closed already, her whole body relaxed and warm, her arms and legs still around him but loosely. She felt so tired all of a sudden, and Asriel's actions were only making it stronger. She felt so safe, so comforted, that soon she fell asleep beneath him, even before her heart slowed down all the way.

Asriel raised his head, noticing, and he smiled faintly, reaching with both hands to cup her face between them and kiss her gently. She stirred a little, shifting, but didn't wake up. Carefully, he moved off of her and lay down beside her, holding her close to him and listening to her breath deeply, the sound soothing him back to sleep.

She had no more nightmares that night.


	64. Flat (Papi)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been way too long and I'm so so sorry! Now that I have a new computer, updates for this fic will be way easier (as well as for other fics, so look forward to that?) and thus should have more frequent updates, too. Thank you so much for being patient with me, and I hope this is worth the wait - even just a little.

Many people felt that Frisk's voice wasn't very expressive. The nicest people called it "monotone". The not-so-nice called it "dead inside". It wasn't something she could exactly help, either: her first few years were happy, but in-between her great-aunt's death and falling down, there certainly was very little to say, and the less one said, with the least emotion, the better. She learned that very, very quickly in foster care.

But then, when she was finally given a chance to see kindness actually work, when she was actually able to have a family, a real one, that desire to stay quiet and monotone gradually faded - at least with them. With her monster family, Frisk was herself; she was dry and sarcastic, but also knew how to play with the best of them, and when to, as well. But with anyone else, especially her fellow politicians, her voice was the same as it had been as a foster-child. 

Over the years, Frisk had tried - when she had the luxury to actually remember - to pay more attention to the way she spoke, and even tried to inject variations of tone into her voice when she normally would have none. In a cruel result, she found that it was the effort that was worse than the lack. 

When she discovered that, and truly had to admit at last that it was probably, by now, way too late to try and change that verbal tick, she was well into her twenties. She came home that day aggravated, and when she hugged Nicky and Asriel, they both noticed it was stiff and unenthusiastic (or, in Nicky's words, "branchy, like hugging a tree."). 

She dropped her purse, kicked her shoes off, and stomped over to the living room, dropping down onto the chair and slouching into it, still wearing her coat. She leaned her head back and shut her eyes, sighing long and loud. 

Nicky was soon at her legs, using them to pull herself into Frisk's lap, something Frisk allowed with a small smile. "Hi, Mami!" Nicky said, her eyes sparking. Frisk smiled at her and hugged her, something that made her giggle.

"You okay, Frisk?" Asriel wondered carefully, placing a hand on her shoulder lightly, before leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"Asriel," she answered, sounding defeated. "My voice sucks."

"Mami," Nicky said sternly, covering Frisk's mouth with her small hand. "Rude!"

"Also wrong," Asriel replied, sitting down on the arm of the chair and taking Frisk's hand into his own.

"No," she muttered. "Apparently one of the PR staff commented on my lack of vocal variance and said it sounded like apathy."

"What the heck?" Asriel frowned, tilting his head to one side. "I've heard you speak publicly, Frisk, and I _know_ that's some pure BS."

Frisk raised a hand and made a sour face; clearly, she knew it, too, and was completely frustrated by the fact that apparently they were a few amongst the many. 

"Mami, your voice is fine," Nicky broke in, her hands now playing with - or perhaps the better word is pushing around - Frisk's cheeks. "'Specially when mad. I always know when you're mad."

"That's good," Frisk replied, her voice muffled. "Because otherwise, this would probably end badly."

Nicky giggled, kissed her mami's nose, and crawled off of her lap and onto the floor. She then crashed onto the couch, putting the TV on and changing it to a channel she preferred, immediately absorbed in her favourite character's escapades. 

Asriel took this chance to lean down and slip Frisk's coat off of her shoulders and hung it up, then sat back down on the arm and put his arms around her, one hand going to her hair, the other to her shoulder and holding tight. She sighed, closing her eyes and relaxing in his embrace, and he closed his and rested his cheek against hers for a moment.

"What do you think this is really about?" Asriel wondered softly. 

Frisk smirked. "They can't find anything else wrong with me at the moment, so they're finding stupid reasons to get me in trouble."

"Can they do that?" Asriel wondered, his voice sharp with growing frustration. "I mean, your voice is fine. They're making a big deal over nothing, and when you need to, you know how to emote. Why are they making a point of this, now?"

Frisk was looking up at him closely, now, her eyebrows raised. "Oh?" she said. "So what you're saying is, they've had cause to mention this, sooner?"

Asriel's ears twitched, as did his eyes, once he realised what he'd just done. He then winced. "Fuck," he whispered, soft enough so that Nicky never heard him. "Come on, Frisk, you know I didn't mean it like that..."

"But you are validating what they're saying," she answered, her tone dry again. "Just not to the same degree as they are."

Asriel stared at her. "Okay," he said meekly. "Now I think I see what they mean, because you're scaring me with that voice, right now."

"Am I?" Frisk wondered in the same tone. "Because I only seem to use this tone with _you."_ She grinned. "I call it my 'Flowey voice'."

Asriel glowered at her, now the one with the sour expression. "Nice one," he muttered. "But I think that's actually the same tone you use when you're pissed off at someone in council."

Frisk blinked, her expression changing to something much more normal. "Really? You've heard me use the same voice on them?"

He nodded. "Yeah, especially just after we got illegally married," he agreed. "You..." He suddenly laughed softly, shaking his head. "You were in no mood for their crap, and you made it as clear as possible."

Frisk suddenly looked mortified. "So it's true: not only have I been doing this for years, but it's just as disconcerting as they say!" She shrank down in the chair and covered her face, making a small, dismayed squeak of a sound. She felt like an idiot, acting in such a way and never even realising. _Oh golly,_ she thought suddenly with horror, _how bad was I when I was pregnant?!_

"But, Frisk," Asriel said after a moment, placing his hand on the back of her head and rubbing there, gently. "What you said before is probably more accurate. They're just ragging on you because they've got nothing else to rag on, especially now that I'm not there." 

Frisk sighed. "I really did try to change my voice, Asriel," she admitted. "I tried to remember what Undyne used to attempt to teach me about singing, about tone and variation, and about how we're technically all singers, and all of that, but none of it worked, and now I'm questioning Undyne's teaching skills."

"First of all, she's right, but if you tried to question her _anything,_ you'll eat spear," he said sharply. "And finally, Frisk, what I'm trying to say with all of this is: who cares? We've both come up with good reasons why you shouldn't give a fuck." He grinned at her. "Stop giving that fuck!"

She grinned back at him, lowering her hands from her face and blushing a little. "Really? What if I just find another way to give it to a better cause?" 

Asriel blinked, then blushed when he understood. "Uh," he answered helpfully, before adding. "definitely," and grinning again. 

Frisk laughed, a sound rich with its own music, and grabbed Asriel around his neck, pulling him back down to her and kissing him - his own laugh adding to the song that was purely their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THERE ARE STILL TONS OF REQUEST SLOTS STILL OPEN FOR THIS COLLECTION. So don't be afraid to ask! The worst I'll say is "please ask something different," :3!


	65. Superstar (Hell In A Handbasket)

"You know, darling, I do wish that you'd do at least one show for me, for old times' sake."

Frisk scowled at Mettaton, her eyes flashing. "Oh? Just like old times? Like when you were trying to kill me for my soul and made me dance for ratings and my own life? _That_ kind?"

Mettaton sighed, a scowl of his own appearing. "Really, Frisk, being married to the Princeling had done little to curb your sarcasm."

"Or maybe, just maybe, it was my sarcasm that corrupted Asriel," Frisk replied with a sly smile.

"Here you go," Asriel said as he walked in, holding a still-sleepy but freshly changed Nicky in his arms. "One neice, ordered fresh and ready." He placed Nicky gently into Mettaton's already outstretched arms, and Mettaton smiled at her, holding her gently. Nicky blinked up at him, still waking up, before she rested her head sleepily on his chest.

"I'm going to die," Mettaton announced, his face changing to one of gentle happiness. He held Nicky closer to his chest and closed his eyes. "Oh, if this is what kills me, it's fine."

"I would have never, ever thought you a family man, Mettaton," Asriel admitted, sitting down beside Frisk, who gave him a small kiss on his cheek in greeting. "And yet every time you come by, you demand to hold her before we even sit down."

"I can't help it! She's adorable!" Mettaton answered, raising the waking-up Nicky from his chest and holding her up, so that he could touch his nose with hers. She wrinkled it, then laughed a little, reaching out and pressing her hands to his face. "See?"

"Oh, I think we're well aware," Frisk replied dryly. "Does Alphys know you love kids so much?"

"Oh, yes," Mettaton agreed, holding Nicky so that she could stand with his help, something she focused on with a sombre expression. "All I get is, 'I don't have time to build one for you.'"

Asriel thought for a moment. "Hey, question." He met Mettaton's gaze right on, something that had Mettaton's full attention. Asriel was usually shy at best and standoffish at worst when it came to Mettaton. "Do you think she'll have a kid with Undyne some day?"

"No question." Mettaton said it so easily and without protest, yet it shocked both Asriel and Frisk, something that made him roll his eyes at them. "Are you two dense? Did you not see how darling Undyne reacted when holding this adorable child? And did you not notice Alphysy noticing?" He nodded with a grin, something that had Nicky trying to grab off of his face. "It'll happen. Later than sooner, but it will. I know my friend."

Frisk stared at Asriel, who stared back. They hadn't expected a serious answer at all, let alone one so serious.

"But, let's talk about this silly fluffy kiddie you have, here," Mettaton went on, poking Nicky's nose with every word, making her scream in delight and grab for his finger. "She's beautiful, darlings, and already at such a young age! Do you think you would--?"

"No," Frisk and Asriel said immediately as one, their eyes narrowing.

Mettaton closed his mouth for a moment, then raised an eyebrow and tried again. "Oh, but really, look at her!" He turned Nicky around to face them, something she clapped at and laughed, especially when Asriel waved at her. "She's wonderful! Don't you want to share her?"

"Mettaton, she's my daughter," Frisk sighed. "I'm already sharing her with the world by being who I am."

"But the first known hybrid on the surface!" Mettaton pushed, making Nicky wiggle a little by tickling under her chin. "Look! Look how cute she is!"

"She can barely stand, Mettaton," Asriel snapped.

"But she'll learn! Imagine her first steps being to a wonderful routine I set up just for her!"

"Give me back my daughter," Asriel answered

"Please?!"

"Look," Frisk broke in. "When she gets older, if she wants to, then fine, you can put her in one of your shows. But it not only has to be safe, but _her choice, Mettaton."_ Frisk narrowed her eyes. "No manipulation or coercion."

Mettaton sighed, pouting a little. "Fine, if you must," he agreed finally. "But I think you're making a mistake!"

They weren't.

* * *

"A show?" Nicky repeated, staring at her uncle with huge, violet eyes. "A show. To perform in front of people. Lots of people?"

"Yes, darling Goat Child, of course. My shows bring in quite a great deal of people - humans and monsters, both."

It was Nicky's tenth birthday, and Mettaton had cornered her at that space that always happens between cake and presents, that sort of floating confusion in which people don't know what to do next, so they mingle nervously until they're given direction. Nicky had been poking her presents when Mettaton told her that his gift to her was a place in his next show.

Nicky blushed a little, looking away for a moment. "Uh, but, Uncle..." She smiled crookedly, the smile he recognised as Asriel's, when he was trying to be nice but about to say something not nice. "I mean... it's not really my thing. What about Bassy?"

"Basket is barely five," Mettaton answered, which was only part of the truth. "You're ten, now! You'd be perfect! Come on, darling, you're adorable, and it would be amazing for my rat--I mean, for you!"

(The whole truth was that Undyne had screamed at him that Basket would be paraded on TV like a piece of meat when she was dead by her own spears poisoning her after she ate them. This was followed by Alphys blushing and coughing, but nodding.)

"Why for me?" Nicky wondered.

"Because then everyone will know you!" he replied - before blinking, realising what he just said.

Nicky sighed, proving him right. "Everyone already knows who I am!" she answered, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why would I need to go on your show to make that worse? I remember a lot of my first week of school, Uncle."

Mettaton frowned sulkily. He knew from that sentence that he'd lost. "Alright, fine. But I'm going to keep asking you, darling."

"Thanks for the warning." The words were oddly sincere.

* * *

"Don't."

Mettaton closed his mouth, blinking in surprise. He'd only just managed to walk up to Nicky and open his mouth, when she looked up, held up a hand, and said this single word.

Nicky met his gaze and lowered her hand, her expression very, very annoyed. "Don't ask me, Uncle, I mean it," she elaborated.

"Nickname," Mettaton tried to begin, but she held up her hand again.

"No," she replied.

"But you're fifteen!" He whined it, though he tried not to. He knew whining never worked, ever, but he was running out of patience. "I've been so good and so understanding for _fifteen years_ , Nickname!"

She stared at him. "You've been trying to exploit me since I was a _baby?"_

"Please don't put it like that."

"You mean so succinctly accurate?"

"My dear," Mettaton sighed. "Can't you just humour me a little? I'm getting older and I want to make people happy. People really love you. Seeing you dressed up and being silly is something everyone needs, don't you think?"

Nicky glowered at him, her eyes burning with rage. He smirked, and she bared her fangs at him. By mentioning people - especially people he wanted to be happy - he had managed to trap Nicky for the people-loving person that she was, and she knew it, too. It broke Frisk's 'no manipulating' rule, but he'd gotten desperate. Luckily, it seemed, it paid off.

"Fine!" she shouted. "One show, one freaking show, one night, one dress, one stupid nightmare, okay?!"

Mettaton hugged her tight, as though she hadn't been yelling at all. "Yes, dear, thank you! Oh, I can't wait, you'll be so delicious!"

And he spent the remainder of their time together going into detail as to how he'd make it so. She listened, still looking angry, though by the end, it had certainly softened. The way he described it made it seem unlikely to fail, and Nicky knew that Mettaton was many things, but unplanned was not one of them.

She decided to humour him. Just this once.

* * *

"I _hate_ you."

Mettaton pouted. They were in Nicky's dressing room, and he'd just finished putting her into her costume and doing her make up. She'd said this the moment she saw herself in the mirror and didn't even recognise herself. She wore something frothy and purple, made of lace and tulle and satin in all of the strangest ways, and though it was her size and weirdly flattering to her plump figure, she still looked like a cotton candy nightmare. A stylish one, but still a nightmare.

"Do be less like your father," was Mettaton's answer, making her scowl (and prove his point even more). "You look beautiful, Princess Goat, absolutely like the princess you are."

Nicky's hurling noises made him stop and glare at her. "Princess?" she snorted. "What rubbish." (She'd picked that word up from Toriel and loved it, loving any excuse to use it.) "I'm not, for starters, as my grandparents are no longer rulers. And another, why would something impractical to fighting and defending your country, as well as conducting formidable speeches and councils, make someone better at their political position, however inherited?"

Mettaton's glare deepened. "Now you sound like your mother," he answered flatly.

Nicky grinned at him, practically beaming at this.

"You're still doing this," he added, wiping the smile from her face.

* * *

She did do it.

It was a chorus number, and she had to sing a verse by herself. She luckily didn't have to dance too much, and was glad the lights blinded her from the audience.

When it was over, she was bright red and eager to either hide or die. She wasn't a bad singer, but she wasn't blessed with a naturally melodic voice like Shyren or Undyne, so it was awkward, to say the very least.

When Mettaton met her in the back, however, he was oddly... _jubilant_. It surprised Nicky, as she knew he was a hard boss and tolerated no mistakes on his shows. She'd just done terribly, and her uncle grabbed her into a hug and laughed in delight - something she knew wasn't fake, as he always wore his heart on his metallic sleeve.

"Uh," she said, once she was placed back on her feet. "I sucked, Uncle. Why are you being so nice?"

Mettaton grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, causing quite a ruffling noise. "Because, my dear, it was _you!_ Darling Nickname Dreemurr, the hope of the future, makes a huge effort to make people smile despite lacking talent! It not only endears you to everyone, but also adds a layer of imperfection no one else had ever seen! Trust me, it was _fabulous."_

Nicky stared at him, speechless. He was right.

"Now, come with me," he continued, smiling proudly. "I need to show you off, now."

He put his arm around his niece, and she grinned and nodded.

It would only be one time, like she'd said, but once was all she - and Mettaton - ever needed.


	66. Spiderweb (Heartlines)

"Stop."

Asriel froze, his fingers still in place, his expression turning a little guilty but mostly still mischievous. He was about to wiggle his fingertips over her stomach, but somehow, despite her eyes being closed, Frisk knew to stop him. He pouted, his hand lying flat on her skin, now, but he moved closer to her and closed his eyes, smiling when she turned and nuzzled him in return.

His fingers soon began to trace patterns, the tips feeling raised and scarred skin, and his smile faded, his eyes opening slowly. From what he could feel, the scar he was touching was her c-section scar: a long, skinny crescent along her belly, one still thick and raised after all of these years. 

Frisk smiled, the feeling making her shiver, anyway, intentional on his part or not. "Gah," she whispered, burying her face into his hair, letting his scent wash over her and feeling comfort from it. "Still tickles a little."

Asriel didn't say anything, instead trailing his fingers upward and beneath her breasts. He could feel gooseflesh rise up on her skin, but he didn't pull his hand away, nor did he smile. Instead, he felt a pang hit him when he felt more scarred skin, this time the gunshot wound that almost killed her. He bit his lip, his fangs sinking in, trying to keep himself from tearing up - but he did anyway. He couldn't help it.

"Hon," Frisk said softly, reaching down and taking his chin into her hand to tilt his face up to her. He looked up into her eyes with tears in his, and her smile faded, her own eyes wavering. "What's wrong, Asriel?"

He flattened his hand on her chest and between her breasts, feeling her heart beating against his palm. "I just..." he began softly, his eyes searching hers. "I'm so glad everything is better, now."

Frisk nodded. "As far as I can see," she agreed. "Finally, don't you think?"

Asriel slid closer, sliding his other arm around beneath her and around the small of her back, resting his hand on her shoulder. He then pressed his lips to her shoulder and closed his eyes, nodding, his throat choked up. 

"So then why are you crying?"

"Because we worked damned hard to be where we are, and I hate that we had to," he answered softly. She reached up and gently placed her hand on his cheek. "We shouldn't of had to do most of what we did - and go through - to get what we deserved from the start."

"I know," Frisk agreed softly. "I haven't been this relieved in my entire life than I am now. Not even when I was a kid."

Asriel nodded again, his eyes still closed. She rested her cheek on his forehead, stroking his hair, now. "I still hate that you have to wear a permanent reminder of those horrible moments on your body."

Frisk paused. "Are they ugly?" she wondered quietly, almost afraid of the answer.

"For fuck's sake, Frisk," he answered, making her laugh a little. "I don't mean it that way, and you should know that by now. But it must still be hard to see them every day."

She was quiet for a moment, thinking, before she answered him. "Yeah, sometimes," she admitted. "I do hate them a lot, and they are frustrating to see. I do sometimes get flashbacks, yeah, but they don't last. "But then again, it's something, you know? To be able to see them on me, and know that I survived, regardless of the intent." She paused thoughtfully, and he was quiet, listening. "So when I look at them, I feel more happy than scared or angry. I look at them and see proof that I went through hell but still managed to leave it with minimal permanent damage." 

Asriel touched the scar under her breast again, but he remained quiet, so she went on, still stroking his hair. 

"And they all connect, you know? Everything I've done, they're all connect in a complex way that I'll only fully get when I'm all wrinkled and can't even see them anymore." She chewed on her lip for a moment. "Am I making any sense? What I mean is, they're a display of winning my battles, like a pattern that protects me and makes me stronger." She sighed. "It makes more sense in my head.

Asriel, however, leaned up and kissed her nose gently. "I understand," he said. "You're right." He sighed. "But I still wish you didn't have them at all."

Frisk laughed. "Oh, me too, sweetie," she agreed, ruffling his bangs. "Don't even think otherwise for a second. I'm trying to make lemonade, here! Stop turning it back into lemons!"

"Sugar is bad for you," Asriel shrugged, which only made her laugh harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, Avi Avidan, you truly are THE best comedian.


	67. Haunted (Hiding)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this premise is not mine: it was originally PhalinRed's, one that he gave me one night when I was whining for prompts (as usual). I never used it - until now - because I wasn't sure how it would fit the narrative of the series or if it would fit at all. But I'm gonna test it out in this collection and see how it works out, and perhaps go from there. If it sucks, at least I tried, and got it in writing to boot. If it works, hey, maybe something new for the series. As of right now, it's not canon, but later, eh? Who knows? Anyway, this is for you, BirbBro.

All children have imaginary friends growing up, don't they? Ones that feel so real, ones that they can describe to the most mundane detail and always have it stay consistent? Ones that they were certain really _were_ real, and so real at that, that it had to be a secret?

The moment Nicky first saw her imaginary friend, one of the first things she was told was, "Don't tell anyone how I look, especially your parents. Just say I'm whatever, but don't tell them the truth."

"Why?" Nicky wondered.

She blinked at her friend, surprised that she was a human - a full human, not a hybrid, like her - and oddly familiar looking, despite knowing that she'd never seen anyone like her, before. (She was actually very wrong on this: she had, myriad times.) She even had her own name, something that later, looking back, probably should have given Nicky a hint that her friend was not typical.

"Because you'd make them sad," her friend replied with a small smile. "And we both don't want that, despite what they may think. Don't even use my name, unless you make something up, okay?"

In the end, Nicky decided to keep her friend to herself, as it was too complicated to try and remember a fake name. Nicky loved playing with her, as the human girl she imagined always seemed to have better ideas when it came to entertainment. And while she didn't see her friend very often (usually only when she was completely alone, which wasn't that often), the times she did were rich with experience and memories.

* * *

 "I kind of know your parents," her friend told her, once, and Nicky blinked, surprised: she hadn't heard her come in, yet there she was, sitting at the foot of her bed on her knees, her hands resting on those knees neatly.

That seemed to amuse Nicky a little, as her ehmma was always trying to get her sit like that, but she preferred to sit with her legs all splayed out.

"I know your dad the best, though." She smiled, and to Nicky's surprise, there was a faint blush, there, one of pure affection. Nicky peered at the human girl and noticed that she wasn't that much older than her, maybe twelve or thirteen to her ten.

"How do you know Papi?" Nicky wondered, setting her book aside and kneeling in front of her, keeping her voice low so that her parents wouldn't hear her. "Were you his imaginary friend, too?"

"Well," the girl said, resting a hand on her cheek and thinking for a moment. "Not really. Rather, we knew each other a long, long time ago, in a different context. We were kind of kids together."

"Weird," Nicky said, not really getting it. "Kinda like reincarnation or something? You were Papi's friend, so you become my imaginary one?"

"No, Nicky," the human replied, her eyes serious. "You and I, we connected through your mother."

"Through Mami?" Nicky repeated. "How do you mean? How is that possible?"

"It's complicated," her friend admitted. "I know you're really smart, but right now, it won't make sense to you even if I spelt it out."

That frustrated Nicky, but she let it go. "What was my papi like when he was little?" she asked instead.

Her friend lit up and giggled, delighted by the question. "He was so funny!" she admitted. "Kind of a whiny crybaby if he didn't get his way, but he was also really silly! He loved games, loved M--your grandma's pies, and loved tea."

Nicky giggled, too, finding that easy to imagine; little had really changed when it came to Asriel in those regards.

"I love Papi," she admitted. "He's like my best friend as well as my dad."

The girl smiled faintly, though it was a little sad. She brought her knees up and hugged her legs, then rested her cheek on them. "I'm so happy to hear that," she said gently. "Asriel deserves to be happy, and so do you. And your mom. She does, too. Don't think I meant otherwise!"

"Did you know her as a kid, too?" Nicky wondered, confused by the sudden defensiveness.

"Sorta," the human girl agreed. "But not like I did your dad. It was more like knowing her through a third person, an impression. But she was still pretty nice."

Her eyes met Nicky's, and they were dark and sombre. "When she grew up, she proved she was more than 'just nice'. And that's when I realised I not only liked her not just for Asriel, but for herself, too. I wanted to help her. I wanted to make Asriel happy, too."

Nicky was staring, mesmerised by this entire speech. However, when her friend didn't continue, Nicky pressed her. "And how did you do that?" she asked.

Instead, her friend remained silent, her smile still sad. When her eyes closed, she vanished into small motes of light, before those vanished, too.

Nicky sighed and leaned back, hoping that she would return sooner than later, but didn't expect it.

She had no idea that normal imaginary friends come when they are called, and not the other way around.

* * *

To Nicky's disappointment, she didn't see her friend for several months after that. She still kept the secret to herself, but she wished she could talk to someone about her, especially her parents, as that was their favourite topics whenever they did meet. But she kept her promise and didn't tell anyone.

It was only a picture that almost made her do so, and it shocked her when it happened. She was walking by the living room bookcase like usual, like she always did when walking through, but this time, something stopped her, and she froze in front of it, her eyes suddenly drawn to one of the pictures there.

It was one she already knew, and that was of the four Dreemurrs before her grandparents had divorced: Toriel, Asgore, Asriel, and their human daughter, Chara. It was a black-and-white photo, showing its age at the slightly-damaged edges, and draped over it was a locket that lay on its back on the shelf, one engraved with the words "Best Friends Forever" upon its heart-shaped face. When her eyes landed on Chara, she felt a lurching in her stomach, and she recognised her friend immediately, despite the face of the human girl being partially obscured by flowers.

Shakily, Nicky reached up and took hold of the locket, then opened it. There were her father and Chara again, together and laughing, and there was no doubt with this picture at all.

Chara was Nickname's imaginary friend.

* * *

 She was quiet that night, and both Frisk and Asriel were worried about her, so used to their chatty daughter offering much of whatever she did during the day, and in as much detail as she could manage. They tried to goad her, asking her questions, but she only answered them shortly and continued to eat.

When dinner was over, Frisk went to her side and touched her forehead gently, then her neck on both sides, before cupping her face into her hands and raising her face up. Her mother looked worried, and yet when Nicky looked at her, she could also see the gentle love, there.

"My Nickname," she said softly, her voice as soft as her hands upon Nicky's face. "Tell me what's bothering you, _putri."_

Nicky sighed. "I feel weird about something," she admitted honestly, always disarmed whenever Frisk lapsed into her childhood tongue without realising it. It was one she used, too, and understood most of what Frisk said as a result (though often Asriel got confused and asked for a translation).

Therefore, the simple act of being called 'princess' made her stomach ache even more than it already did. "Who... who was Chara, really, Mami?"

Frisk's eyes widened in surprise, her hands twitching a little, before they lowered down. "Come sit with me," Frisk replied instead, waving her over to the couch. "Asriel, you can handle the dishes, right?"

Asriel met her gaze for a moment. He'd heard everything, and had nearly broken a plate when he heard Nicky's question, but he nodded. Frisk smiled her thanks, and together, she and her daughter sat down face-to-face, and Frisk smiled at Nicky.

Gently, Frisk explained who Chara was: called The First Child, as she was the first human to drop down from the human world to the Underground. She was found in New Home by Asriel, who brought her home and scared the daylights out of his parents. But he was innocent and didn't understand the deep undertones of what he'd just done; he'd only seen a kid like him who needed help. At first, his parents were only going to take care of Chara until she was well enough to leave, but Asriel got attached, and pretty soon, so did his parents, and she became like one of their own. Instead of looking down on them, the other monsters saw this as a sign of hope for the future, and loved seeing the two children together.

Before now, Nicky had only known the bare minimum of who Asriel's adopted sister had been, and it hadn't involved Chara being found. Rather, she'd been told that Chara was a human who was adopted by the Dreemurrs but who passed away a few years later.

But Nickname was ten, now. The same age Frisk had been when she had fallen and been rescued by Asriel, but in a completely different way and circumstance. So Frisk went on, now, and explained how Chara died - as well as the rest of the consequences following that death.

By the end, Nicky was clinging to her mother and crying softly. She'd had no idea her father had _died;_ she'd been told he was simply in a weird, long sleep, before he found Frisk and was somehow changed by her back to his original form.

She'd had no idea that Asriel had been Flowey, nor had she known that it had taken Frisk _eight years_ to save Asriel.

Now, she did.

_"When she grew up, she proved she was more than 'just nice'."_

Soon, she felt Asriel hug them both into his arms, and Nicky closed her eyes. One of her favourite things in the world was to be a sandwich with her parents, no matter how much older she got. She heard her father sniffle a little, and his hand reach up and stroked Nicky's hair slowly.

"In a lot of ways," Frisk murmured, her voice soft, now. Her eyes were closed, her cheek resting against the top of Nicky's head, her shoulder against Asriel's as his cheek was upon her head. "Chara is the reason we are the way we are, today."

"She is?" Nicky answered, looking up at her. Frisk nodded.

"Without her determination," Asriel said, "your mom and I would be dead, and you wouldn't of been born."

Nicky shuddered and cuddled closer to them both, shutting her eyes, and they held her tighter.

* * *

That night, as she was drifting off, Chara - she finally had a name - visited her. She was drifting off to sleep when she heard the familiar voice whisper, "Hey. Can we talk for a second?"

Nicky woke up slowly, rubbing her eyes a little, before she sat up and nodded. In the dim light, she could see Chara perched on the end of her bed like usual, but she could also see that she was a little transparent at the edges.

"You're real," Nicky murmured. "You're a ghost, not my imaginary friend. You lied to me."

Chara nodded. "I had to, I'm sorry. When you were smaller, I was afraid you'd tell them, and they'd be very upset."

Nicky understood that, actually. She understood the reasoning and accepted it. But she was still hurt. "So can you tell me the truth about something, then? Can you tell me how you saved my parents? They said that without you, they'd be dead, and I wouldn't exist. What did they mean?"

"Nickname, listen..."

"You're related to me, too, you know," Nicky broke in sharply, clutching her blankets under her chin. "You're my mami's great-aunt, her _bibi-besar,_ right?" When Chara nodded, Nicky went on. "We're family, then. Shouldn't I know where I came from?"

Chara sighed, then sat down cross-legged on the bed and nodded. "You're right. You should." She paused. "I'm just surprised to hear that your parents said that. I'm not the sole reason, but... it's nice that they said that. A lot of it was thanks to Dr Alphys, and Frisk and Asriel, themselves, but..." She shook her head. "Let me tell you first how I saved them, then how I got here."

Nicky nodded.

"When Dr Alphys injected one of Dad's flowers with DT, it rewoke Asriel, brought his soul into that plant, and he ran away. He wasn't alone, though: I'd woken up with him. Dr Alphys had used _my_ DT, though she hadn't known it."

Chara paused. "I actually don't even know how she got it. I sometimes wonder if it was that other scientist, the one that spoke with hands?"

When Nicky looked confused, Chara shook her head again. "It actually doesn't matter. The point is, now both Asriel and I were not only alive again, but together. In a way, we were _both_ Flowey, but... Asriel was the most in control. I..."

Chara looked sad, all of a sudden. "I tried to take control of him once, and it got us killed. I never wanted that to happen again. So I just... faded into the back of his mind, and I don't even think he knew I was there." She paused. "Hell, I know he didn't, because when he first saw your mother, he thought she was _me._ "

"But..." Nicky blushed a little for what she was about to say. "You're pink, and Mami is light brown. You don't really look alike."

"Asriel was..." Chara looked very sad, now. "Lonely. Desperate. Partially insane from being left alone for years to himself, with the power to reset and mess with timelines. Seeing Frisk made him _want_ to see me, again. It was only when she managed to save him that first time that he saw her as Frisk at last." She closed her eyes. "And in doing that, I was separated from him, and attached to _her."_

Nicky jumped in shock. "What?! How?!"

"She calmed him down, brought him back to himself, and made him realise that life was to live, not kill or be killed. But in the process, somehow, when he was using the souls to break the barrier, I came loose, too. When your mother hugged your father, I found myself suddenly with her."

Chara blinked, looking away for a moment. "It was weird, really. I stayed quiet, like I did with Asriel, but sometimes, she would dream of me, and they wouldn't be dreams - they'd be actual contact between us. As she grew up, she dismissed the dreams more and more, and then, suddenly... suddenly..."

Nicky sat up more. "Suddenly, what?" she squeaked out, her heart racing.

Chara's eyes met Nicky's. "Suddenly, through... magic, and... the usual way, I found myself attached to someone new, still within Frisk, but not Frisk. It was you, Nicky. I ended up attached to you."

Nicky stared at her, unable to speak for a long time, so Chara filled the silence.

"I don't know why I'm so connected to our family this way, Nickname, and I certainly never asked for it. But in a way, in a way..." She smiled faintly. "I'm actually really glad for it. I got to see my brother grow up, my niece, too, and I got to see them happy and with a family of their own... one that I could never be with them, in any way. Except  like this, with your dad, then your mom, and then, you."

"When will you leave me?" Nicky wondered now, her voice small. She didn't want to admit it, but she was certain that Chara was now here, explaining this, to say goodbye.

Chara, however, smiled for real. "That's up to you," she admitted. "I want to stay for as long as you want me to, Nicky."

Nicky nodded halfway through the sentence, and Chara laughed softly.

"Then I'll stay with you," she agreed. "For as long as you want me to."

She ended up staying for the rest of Nicky's life. But that's another story.


	68. Meant No Harm (Heartlines)

One morning, Asriel suddenly woke up fully awake and startled in one heartbeat. His eyes just snapped open, his hands clutching at the blankets, and he inhaled slowly, shock filling him. He turned around to face Frisk, and found her back to him, her body lazily covered in one of the blankets but only around her legs; it had been a hot night, and clearly, even in sleep, she still felt it. He blinked slowly, the image of her getting clearer as his heart calmed down. Her hair was still in the short bob she'd worn since she was a child, though now it was threaded with white and grey. Her body had thickened over the years, due to both having a child and just simple age, but she was still slender in shoulders. His eyes moved down to her back, and he could see some signs of surfacing age spots as well as looser skin.

They were getting older, and it was starting to show.

Asriel moved closer to her, carefully, so that he wouldn't wake her. He kept his hands clutched to his chest and over his heart, but he rested his forehead against the back of her neck, her loose hair tickling his nose a little. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent, and he realised, for perhaps the millionth time, that it was always the same, always her own. He felt his whole body relax with it, and he sighed deeply.

It was a year ago today that Frisk had almost shot and killed Carlson. He remembered that day so clearly. The lies. The fear. The confusion and the desperation. And then, the relief. The joy. And the determination they all suddenly had to keep going, and keep strong.

The memory was so strong that Asriel couldn't help it: he shifted up behind Frisk and looped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him and closing his eyes, his face buried into her hair, now. She stirred, then moved in a way that had him holding onto her tighter, and she smiled; she was awake, now, and he could tell. He smiled, too, and when he pulled his face away, she turned to look over her shoulder at him with still-sleepy eyes. Her hands slipped down and covered his.

"Hi," she said softly.

He nuzzled close to her cheek to kiss her, and she smiled wider. "Morning," he replied. "Did you sleep okay?"

Frisk blinked, looking away for a moment before looking back at him. "Yeah, I got enough," she answered.

"Liar," Asriel answered, his smile vanishing.

She nodded and shut her eyes, laying her head back on her pillow. "Yeah, I'm lying," she agreed. "I was up a lot, thinking." She paused, her fingers playing with his a little. "Asriel... do you know what happened, today?" She lowered her head a little, her ears going red. "Last year?"

"Of course I do," he replied.

She blinked her eyes open in surprise, then smiled; she should have known better, as Asriel always remembered important dates. She turned around to face him, and he kept his arms around her as she did, especially when she moved close and put her arms around his neck, kissing the tip of his nose lightly. He smiled faintly, but then looked at her with worry, hugging her closer.

"Nightmares?" he wondered.

"No," she admitted softly. "Just... bad thoughts. What ifs. Should haves. All of that."

"There's nothing else you could have done, Frisk," Asriel said sharply, narrowing his eyes.

She smiled sadly. "Nicky told me what was going to happen, love. I should have - see? - listened."

Asriel sighed. "Look, Frisk, I'm not some kind of spiritual monster or whatever, but I'm pretty sure that what 'should have' happened, happened. Nicky saw it happen for a reason, and there was no way you could have changed that. If anything, her seeing it should make that even clearer for you."

Frisk suddenly smiled. "Remember when she was ten, and she woke us up in the middle of the night?"

Asriel laughed, the memory delighting him. "Yeah," he agreed. "She came in, rubbing her eyes, and said, so confidently--,"

"'Papi, you need to make sure that when you fall on the ice, you're wearing a thick hat to protect your head, okay?'"

They both laughed, both able to picture it so well that they couldn't help it.

"And I did," he replied, his eyes sparking with mirth. I wore six. And when I fell, I was only surprised and a little bumped. But when I did, she jumped on me and said, 'I told you so!'"

Frisk laughed again, the sound music to his ears. "Oh, I'd forgotten that! She did say that!"

"Then she made me hot chocolate, and it was all powdery, but she watched me like a hawk, so I had to drink it," Asriel added, making a face. Frisk snorted and buried her face into his neck, and this time he laughed.

There was a small pause, before Frisk said, her voice small, "I wish I had listened." Asriel looked down at her, and saw that she was trying to hide her face into his shoulder. He didn't fight her, so once she had, she went on. "I wish I had listened, and not done any of those things."

"You can't change it, Frisk," he reminded her gently. "You're old enough to know that, and wise enough to accept it, by now, don't you think?"

"Oh?" Frisk wondered, her voice suddenly sharp. "So then, you, someone who is technically older than me, you know better than to dwell, right? Like, say, on what you did when we were kids? And you were still Flowey?"

He sighed. "You always get so mean when you're cornered," he answered flatly.

"But no less right."

"No, actually, you're not right," he replied, and she blinked, something he could feel against his shoulder. "I'll never stop regretting, it's true, especially since my stubbornness and self-beating attitude nearly got you killed. But at the same time..." He sighed, closing his eyes and pulling her closer, again surprising her. "I realise now that if things hadn't happened the way they did, we wouldn't be here, right now, in this bed together. At least, not in this context."

"What if you had revealed yourself to me sooner?" Frisk answered. "We could have been friends far sooner, and been closer."

"But would that have given you the urge, the drive, to turn me back?" Asriel said. "You would have wanted to as a friend, but when you forced sans's hand into acting against me, and in turn you, things wouldn't of happened the way they did, and certainly not to the speed - or even success - that they had."

Frisk was silent for a moment, before she turned her head and looked up at him, again. "You think about this a lot, don't you, sweetie?" she asked, her hand now on his cheek.

He smiled, his heart picking up a bit; it always did, when she looked at him like that, so serious and yet so loving. "Yeah," he agreed.

"Well," Frisk sighed. "Alphys was right: you _are_ smarter than me, then."

Asriel pulled her close, reaching up to stroke her hair slowly, and she snuggled into his arms, her face now buried into his chest, her ear against his heart. "No," he admitted. "I'm still pretty stupid when it comes to things. I just... I've learned the hard way not to dwell... because otherwise, you don't get out of that hole, and it starts to close up above you."

Frisk was quiet for longer this time, and he only realised why when he felt tears touch his skin. He reached down and touched her face, and she looked up with teary eyes but a small smile. "Smarter than me," she repeated tearfully. "I'm glad."

He kissed her, and she returned it, before he said, "How did you want to spend the day?"

"With family," she said at once. "Always."

He smiled. It was exactly what he was thinking, too. "See? You're fucking smart, Frisk: you just dwell too much. But don't worry, because I'll always make sure that hole never closes up above you, okay?"

Frisk hugged onto him again, then leaned on him and pushed him down onto his back. He laughed, the sudden impact surprising it out of him, but he shut up the moment he saw her expression: she was still in tears, but this time, they were serious.

"Asriel," she murmured. "I love you. Okay? Never forget it, never doubt it."

He smiled easily, cupping her face into his hands. "How can I forget, when you tackle me in such an affectionate way?"

She smiled, exactly what he'd hoped for, and he brought her face to his and kissed her.


	69. Rich (Heartlines)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm tipsy, horny, and bored. Also angry and bitter about the lack of Friskriel smut artwork. Here's some smut.
> 
> EDIT: I STARTED this as the above. Now I'm just not tipsy :P. Plus, it's chapter 69. How could I not?

There was something intoxicating about the way Frisk tasted. No matter how many years passed, no matter how old they got, be it just her lips, the curve of her neck, or the most intimate of places, to Asriel, Frisk's taste was like a drug. And he didn't mind being dependent on it. If anything, there was nothing else in the world that could taste as good, nothing else that could even come close - and he was one who'd been drunk, on pain medicine, and hyped up on too much caffeine.

It always started with a kiss. Always. Usually, it was a gentle one, a kind that barely lasted a second, one that she always coupled with a smile or a touch to his cheek or shoulder. Sometimes, if there was a glow in her eyes, or a spark, or a quirk to her lips, she would lean back and capture his lips once more, this time lingering, her fingertips trailing over his arm or down his chest. If he signaled to her that he was in that mood, she would remain there, her eyes on his, and he wouldn't be able to resist pulling her close - as close as possible - and deepening that kiss into something more.

And yet, despite his own growing desire, it was always Frisk who made sure that her tongue met his first, that it was she that tasted him, first - something that always made him react, be it a stumble, a gasp, or a groan. From that first taste, he was lost to her, he was hers, there was nothing else in the world but her, not until he'd had his fill of her - and she, of him - and they were both satisfied and sated.

Something Asriel loved the most was to surprise her, to make her dark eyes gleam in pleasant surprise and eagerness. That desire he saw so plainly in those eyes made him half-crazy, as though he were starved and she were the only thing that could cure his hunger. And his favourite thing of all was to go down on her, no matter what the mood, the occasion, or the circumstance - because above all, the richest taste that could be had from her was from deep within her, and it was the one he craved the most.

Once, they had been going through a dry spell that was clearly taking a toll on them both. When it came to sex, it was something they both enjoyed, and found both joy and great relief having it. So added to the stress of their jobs and the events outside of those jobs - though still related to them - things were a little tense.

This much was made clear when Frisk came home late, slammed the door, stood in the foyer, and made a long, low growl of frustration, one that ended in a small, high-pitched cry. She added to this cry by throwing her bag off her shoulder and onto the floor, ripping her shoes off, and storming into the apartment with a furious, fed-up expression.

Asriel had jumped the moment the door slammed, and was on his feet and walking towards her when he heard the additional sounds of violence. He kept his distance, though, when he heard her growl, because he knew, from two decades of experience, that when she made that noise, it was best not to touch her, yet.

She looked up at him, her salt-and-pepper cap of hair getting into her eyes, and she scowled, her shoulders up and around her ears, her hands already clenched into fists at her sides. She gritted her teeth, shaking a little, but she said nothing.

"Okay," he said softly, moving a little closer. "What happened?"

Frisk closed her eyes, her fists going over them. "Freaking fracking racist idiots always up my rear about anything!" she snarled out. Asriel was suddenly glad her eyes were covered, as he couldn't help but smile at her wording; no matter how old they got, she always avoided swearing whenever she could. "'Oh, you love a goat!' or 'Oh, you just hate humans!' Yeah, I hate _your_ kind of human, you stupid ignorant buttcaps!"

Asriel made a face, then. "Why are they mocking you for loving a goat, now? It's been decades."

Her hands lowered jerkily in her anger, and her face was now red. "That's not the point!" she snapped. "The point is that they still think it's an insult! And they're freaking politicians! Elected officials! People put their trust in them to speak for them, and _that's_ what they say, when the general consensus is actually the opposite?!"

"Well," he said carefully, taking another couple of steps closer. "If you know that, and you know they're morons, then why does it upset you so much?"

Frisk's face fell. "Because they're still saying it, Asriel, after all of this time. They're still being racist, after all that we've been through. _Especially_ now, recently, with Alphys. It makes me sick, and it makes me see nothing but red, and I just want to..." She held her hands up, her fingers clawed. "I just want to..."

Asriel decided that now was the time, and he moved to embrace her. She hesitated for a moment, then clung onto him, burying her face into his chest and making another soft, frustrated sound, more akin to a sob, now. He closed his eyes and stroked her hair slowly, something that made her make another sound - one softer, calmer, and it made him feel better despite the context.

"I understand," he said softly, every so often kissing the top of her head. "I do. Do you know how many times I've imagined setting those idiots on fire?"

She surprised him, then, and laughed - just a little, but it was nice to hear.

"But that's not our way, Frisk. It never has been. Well, it's never been _your_ way..." He blinked a bit. "It was once my way. And we all know how well that turned out, right?" She nodded, so he went on. "They're stupid, Frisk. They're old, and stupid. The good thing is that you'll outlast them, and be able to teach their replacements better, and actually be able to get them to understand that, deep down, we're all the same, ultimately."

"I want that to be now," she whispered. "Why can't it be now?"

"Now you're just being whiny," he teased, and she laughed again, that soft laugh, and he smiled. "You're so patient, already. I know you can do this. You've already done so much; this is like a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of it."

Frisk moved closer, hugging onto him tighter, and he could feel her fingers dig into his back. He held her tighter, swallowing a little, as he was unable to help his body's automatic response to her, try as he might.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you, Asriel. I don't know what I'd do without you. I don't ever want to know."

Asriel felt a pang in his heart, then, one so potent that he closed his eyes again. "Neither do I," he admitted.

"Asriel," she then added, her voice still soft, but with a slight edge to it that he recognised right away. "Uh. Is... your phone in your pocket?"

"Nope," he admitted. Years ago, when caught like this, it would result in so much blushing, denial, and teasing. Now, they were so comfortable, so at ease with each other, that it was pointless to lie about things like this. "Sorry. Can't help it. You're just..." He shrugged, smiling. "You smell nice, you feel nice, and you hug nice."

Frisk paused for a moment, then suddenly shifted closer, moving so that her legs parted a little around him, and he grunted, feeling that friction against him and enjoying it very much. He pulled her closer, and she shifted again, her hands clutching onto his back tighter. He tilted his head back, able to feel how warm she was, even through their clothes, just as he knew she could feel how hard he was.

"Asriel," she murmured, her voice thick. "I... I need you. Can we...?"

He reached down, took hold of her face, and kissed her. The moment he did, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down closer, her tongue snaking out and meeting his so quickly he made a surprised noise, one choked off by that tongue. He took hold of her and pushed her backwards, against the wall near the doorway, and she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, gripping tight and rubbing against his erection again, purring deeply in her throat.

He knew, then, that there was no way they'd make it any further than there, and he decided he didn't care. He grabbed hold of the back of her knees and licked along her tongue, something she returned with equal fervour, her hands slipping down and tugging on his shirt so hard she stretched the fabric. He didn't want to break the kiss, already so drunk off of the taste of her tongue, but he knew if he didn't, that would be as far as they got. He pulled away, and she pulled it off over his head and threw it aside, moving her head down and licking one of his nipples slowly. He gasped, pushing her harder up against the wall, and they both groaned at that. Desperately, his hands scrabbled at her blouse, unbuttoning it as fast as he could, before she shrugged it off, her tongue still sliding over his chest. When he went to pull her camisole over her head, she pulled back and did so, herself, tossing it aside as carelessly as the rest, though not without grinding up against him with a gasp.

Asriel was losing it, now. He already forgot what the problem had been, already forgot what had brought them here; the only thing he cared about was tasting her, making her come, hearing her cry out his name as he did. He pulled away and let go of her legs, and she stumbled to her feet, looking confused for a moment before his hands went to her slacks, zipping them open and yanking them down quickly, hooking his fingers around her underwear at the same time. She grinned, a feral, hungry grin, her hands going down to his own pants and making quick work of them, too, before her hand closed around the hard length of his cock and gripped tight. He groaned again, his eyes closing and his forehead pressing into her shoulder for a moment.

"Asriel," she whispered, looking up at him with blazing eyes, her fingers sliding along his length slowly. He nodded, then reached down not to touch her, but to pull her hand away from him. She frowned, looking confused again, until he reached down, grabbed hold of her legs, and hoisted her back off the ground, bringing a surprised gasp from her. He pushed her against the wall again, and she licked her lips, her hands on his shoulders. But what she expected was not what he had planned, and he grinned.

Before she could say or do anything, he dropped to his knees, hooked her legs on his shoulders, and buried his face between them, closing his eyes as he caught her intimate scent. She gasped again, a whispered cry of his name, and her hands grabbed onto his horns hard, sending a delicious wave of lust through him. Slowly, he licked along her slit, and she growled, a sound so different than the one she had greeted him with, one that send his heart racing and his blood to his cock, but he wasn't done. He'd had a taste, and he wasn't going to stop, now.

With practised ease, Asriel licked Frisk's lips apart, delving his tongue deep into her centre, and she cried out, her legs tightening and shaking a little, arching back against the wall. He closed his eyes, loving those sounds and craving even more, so he pushed closer, pulled her legs around him further, and dove his tongue deep, slowly licking from deep within to just outside of her entrance, circling her clit for a moment before dipping back in. She tasted salty, but rich, like the richest, most expensive of sauces, only better, because it was her, and he heard himself make a soft purr of his own, unable to hold it back. He gripped onto her rear to keep her in place, his tail wagging from how happy it made him, especially when, the longer he went, the more she cried out and shook.

Frisk held onto his horns hard, the only thing keeping her balanced. She arched over his head, her eyes squeezed shut and her face red, gasping for breath but loving every second of it. Her thighs shook, especially when he licked her clit, and soon she was grinding against his face, her breaths growing raspy at the edges as she felt that slow build within her, growing more and more intense the deeper he went with that wonderful tongue of his.

 _"Asriel,"_ she suddenly groaned out, her voice high-pitched and tight, barely spoken between clenched teeth. "I'm so close... I'm so close... I'm... _so close!"_

He felt a flutter in his stomach, those words music to his ears, and he pushed himself closer, matching her rhythm and increasing it, feeling her body go hot and her centre even hotter. She keened out, not just once, but several times, before she practically pleaded out his name, arching back so hard he had to grab her to keep her steady. He could taste it when she came, that slightly tart change in her flavour, and he purred again, licking it up and loving every single drop of it.

He suddenly felt her hands in his hair, digging in hard and tugging, and he pulled back a little to look up at her. She stared down at him, her eyes dark but still blazing, her face bright red but still hungry. She gasped out, "Asriel, _please,_ for the love of pie, _take me, now!"_ He grinned, grabbing hold of her around her waist while licking his lips, her taste lingering as he wrapped her legs back around him. She practically glued herself to him, grabbing his face and kissing him so hard he lost his breath for a moment, one of her hands reaching down and grabbing onto his still-hard cock and guiding it between her legs. He gasped against her lips, his eyes shutting, and he thrust into her, feeling her still so wet and so slick that it was easy, so easy. She groaned out against his lips, her hips pushing against his to take him deeper, and that's when he lost it.

With a grunt, Asriel grabbed the back of her knees and pushed her hard up against the wall, thrusting hard and fast into her, not once breaking their kiss. She made a long, satisfied sound from deep in her throat, her arms around his neck and her legs hooked around his waist tight, meeting every thrust and bringing him into a deep, delirious haze. "Don't stop," she begged between kisses. "Don't stop, don't stop, _don't stop."_ This was no problem for him, as he wouldn't even dream of stopping now, already so close from holding back for what felt like so long.

When he felt himself close, he started to cry out, softly at first, his eyes shut tight in order to savour it, savour _her_ , and she matched his pace, pulling free from their kiss to bury her hot face into his neck and graze her teeth slowly along his neck. "Oh, fuck, Frisk," he gasped out. She always knew what to do, always knew how to bring him to that pinnacle faster, and he could even feel her smile against his neck, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. It was that smile alone that broke his control, and he let go, staggering and crying out as he came, holding her so close he could feel her heart beating against his own. She held him close, whispering his name, and he shuddered, burying his face into her sweaty shoulder and letting it wash over him.

For a moment, they remained that way, both gasping and holding each other tight, unable to move or speak beyond that, despite their position. It was fine, as it still felt wonderful, anyway, that sensual feeling of skin touching skin, of aftershock and intimacy.

It was a while before Frisk whispered, "Sweetie? C-can I get down? M-my legs are starting to cramp up..."

Asriel pulled away slowly, gently lowering her to her feet, but she stumbled, leaning against him for balance. He held her close, feeling rather unsteady, himself, before he suggested, "Let's go lie down?" She nodded, and slowly, hand-in-hand, they stumbled to their bedroom and collapsed onto the bed, side-by-side and on their backs, their hands still entwined.

After a moment, Asriel looked over at Frisk, whose eyes were closed, her other hand over her chest. However, she was smiling, her body relaxed, and she looked so happy that he couldn't help but smile, too.

"I..." she then said softly, her eyes still closed. "I _really_ needed that. Th-thank you."

Asriel moved closer and rested his head on her chest, closing his eyes. She reached up and stroked his hair and one of his ears, and he grinned, relaxing even more. "Me, too." he agreed softly, meaning it.

They remained that way for quite some time, caught in that afterglow that always comes with sex like that. It was only when Frisk's stomach growled so loudly that it snapped them both out of their shared doze that they - with a laugh - got up to eat.

But it was worth it. It was always, always worth it. No matter what.


	70. Apple (Move Your Body)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT LIIIIIIIIIIIVES!!!!!

For two weeks, before she even understood why, Frisk was addicted to apples.

She first discovered this when she'd gone out for groceries, and saw the produce section brimming with them. She didn't usually like them at all (preferring their juice), but the moment her eyes fell on the display, she went over and filled an entire bag, her stomach suddenly growling for them.

It was such a strong craving that she started eating one the moment the bag was scanned, and it tasted so good that she closed her eyes and groaned softly, both scaring and confusing the cashier.

When she came home with them, she tried to hide them, because she knew it was weird and had no clue how to explain it to Asriel. But he got up and went to help her with the rest of the bags, and he saw them.

“Uh,” he said, even as he began to put the other groceries away. “Frisk?”

She was trying to hide the fact that she was eating another one (her third, now; she'd had one on the way home), and she looked up guiltily.

“Yes?” she squeaked out, her mouth still full.

“Why did you buy all of the apples in Ebott?” he wondered. “You don't even like them, and you know I hate them. So... why?”

Frisk blushed, placing the bag on the counter shyly. “I... I dunno,” she admitted between bites. “They just seemed like a really good idea to me for some reason.”

She closed her eyes again when the flavour hit her senses, and again, she groaned softly, her other hand going up to wipe away some of the juice from her chin.

Asriel heard that sound and stopped, blushing deeply, now, as well. “Uh,” he stammered, suddenly very distracted. “Frisk...”

“I know,” she muttered. “They're expensive, I know. I swear, I don't know why I chose them. I just... really needed them.”

“Needed them?” Asriel echoed, confused.

“Yeah,” she agreed, taking another bite – and purring, this time. “Golly, they're _so good...”_

Asriel leaned against the counter for a moment, shutting his eyes. He knew she didn't do it on purpose, but hearing her make those sounds, regardless of the source, affected him quite a bit.

“And before you even say it, yes, I know eating them makes me look like an asshole.”

Asriel laughed in surprise at that, then turned away from the counter to go over and hug her for it. She grinned and hugged back – but also took another bite as she did, unable to resist.

Then she paused, her eyebrows going up. Asriel blushed deeper, looking away, but she smirked and shifted slightly against him, and he grabbed onto her and growled, shivering.

“Really?” she teased. “My yummy noises are sexy?”

Asriel buried his face into her neck, nodding, before he started to kiss there, gently. Frisk closed her eyes and relaxed in his arms, snuggling closer – and still eating.

Asriel noticed and sighed. “Frisk, can't you put that down for a bit?”

Frisk grinned up at him. “But it's so effective on you.”

Asriel glared at her, then grinned. He wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up, and she jumped up and hooked her legs around him, nodding. He kissed her lips, and she purred again – this time, in that way he knew was only for him.

Before he carried her to their bedroom, though, she reached over his shoulder and grabbed the bag of apples, and he laughed without protest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cupcakes to the person who gets that reference without looking it up :3


End file.
